Idiots And Guardians
by Allenator05
Summary: These transcripts were taken from interviews with the subjects known as "Guardians" from the Interdimensional Transit Incident. The following information is classified TOP SECRET: SCI. Only individuals with Access Level 5 clearance are authorized to review this material. Declassify on 3XXX. Handle material in accordance with the procedure for this classification.
1. Guardian Interviews

**INTERVIEWER:** State your name for the record.

 **SUBJECT:** Why? Am I in trouble or something?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Is that what you think?

 **SUBJECT:** I don't know what to think. I've never been in this situation before.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Just tell us you name.

 **SUBJECT:** Fine. Just call me Selene.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Selene?

 **SELENE:** Yeah. Look, just how many names do you need?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Selene will be fine.

 **SELENE:** So do I get to know your name, or is that not how this works?

 **INTERVIEWER:** That's not how this works.

 **SELENE:** Well, now that we've got THAT out of the way...

 **INTERVIEWER:** Just tell us about yourself.

 **SELENE:** _(shrugs)_ There's not much to tell.

 **INTERVIEWER:** You can start by telling us what you are.

 **SELENE:** Well, obviously I'm not human.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Obviously.

 **SELENE:** I am an Exo.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Exo? Is that short for something else?

 **SELENE:** What, like 'Exo-skeleton' or 'Exo-strordinary Artifical Intelligence', or 'Exo-stential Being?'

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes.

 **SELENE:** No. Just Exo.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Okay. Can you tell us what your primary function is?

 **SELENE:** ' _Primary Function_?' What do you think I am, some kind of robot?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Well, aren't you?

 **SELENE:** I just told you I'm an Exo. I'm no robot.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Now, now, there's no need to get upset...

 **SELENE:** Upset? If I'm 'just a robot,' how can I show emotions like _upset._

 **INTERVIEWER:** Point taken.

 **SELENE:** Now, if you're interested in my job, I am a Hunter.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Hunter?

 **SELENE:** _(nods)_

 **INTERVIEWER:** What does that entail?

 **SELENE:** Whatever you want it to. Hiding, tracking, killing, scavenging, searching, finding, shooting, whatever.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So like a scout then?

 **SELENE:** Sure.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Can you tell us how you got here?

 **SELENE:** Sure. I tagged along with your guys.

 **INTERVIEWER:** _(surprised)_ And they let you? Why?

 **SELENE:** _(shrugs)_ Why not? I've always wanted to see and explore new places. I'm a Hunter, it's what I do. Too good to pass up. Now as for the others, you'd have to ask them.

 **INTERVIEWER:** We intend to. Now tell us how you met the SPARTAINs.

 **SELENE:** _(points thumb at the door)_ Those knuckleheads? Why? You all are military-types right? Didn't you make them write reports on this whole mess?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes, they wrote reports.

 **SELENE:** Well, did you READ them?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes, we read them.

 **SELENE:** So why do you need to hear from me?

 **INTERVIEWER:** To hear your side and to corroborate the reports.

 **SELENE:** So you don't believe them?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Certain parts seemed very... _outlandish._

 **SELENE:** _(nods head)_ I can see why you'd believe that. Of course, I could say the same thing about what they have told me.

 **INTERVIEWER:** _(leans forward seriously)_ What did they tell you?

 **SELENE:** _(puts hands up)_ Whoa guy, slow your roll. We just talked about our similar experiences. I mean, a 25 year war against a collection of fanatical aliens that spans the entire galaxy? An array of giant hoop-like structures with the capability of wiping out all sentient life in the galaxy? _(leans in and whispers)_ Sounds like a Sci-Fi space shooter if you ask me.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I see your point.

 **SELENE:** Okay then. _(looks to the door)_ Can I go yet?

 **INTERVIEWER:** One last question then. About the thing called a 'Ghost'-

 **SELENE:** No.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But you don't know the question.

 **SELENE:** No.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But-

 **SELENE:** _(slams fists into table and stands)_ I SAID NO! You touch my Ghost, or even THINK about touching my Ghost, I will kill you all.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I would think carefully about making those kinds of threats.

 **SELENE:** _(leans forward)_ It's not a threat. It's a (REDACTED) promise.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I think we're done for now.

 _-END RECORDING-_

 **INTERVIEWER:** Please state your name for the record.

 **SUBJECT:** Saoirse.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Saoirse?

 **SAOIRSE:** Yeah. _(looks at camera)_ Since this is being recorded and probably written down somewhere, it's pronounced Seer-sha and spelled S-A-O-I-R-S-E

 **INTERVIEWER:** That's a unique name.

 **SAOIRSE:** Might as well be. It's the only one I've got.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Is that common where you come from?

 **SAOIRSE:** Is what common? To only have one name?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes.

 **SAOIRSE:** _(shrugs)_ I guess so. Some people have do have a family name, but most Guardians don't. It's not really something you remember.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Guardian? Is that what you are?

 **SAOIRSE:** Yep. I am a Titan class Gardian.

 **INTERVIEWER:** A Titan?

 **SAOIRSE:** Similar to those SPARTANS we ran into. First to fight, last to quit. Heavily armored and armed to the teeth. If you need something killed, we're the ones to do it. All go, no quit, and lots of guts.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Sounds like you're proud to be a Titan.

 **SAOIRSE:** _(grins)_ Damn Skippy!

 **INTERVIEWER:** So, we talked to the one called Selene-

 **SAOIRSE:** She's here too?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes. We talked to her and-

 **SAOIRSE:** _(pounds fists on table, cracking it in half)_ Good! I have some matters to discuss with her.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Such as?

 **SAOIRSE:** Such as why she dragged is here in the first place? Do you have any idea what it's like where we're from?

 **INTERVIEWER:** No, we never discussed it with Selene. Our previous session ended rather abruptly.

 **SAOIRSE:** What'ya do, piss her off.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Seems that way.

 **SAOIRSE:** _(surprised)_ And you're still alive? Wow. She must be mellowing out in her old age.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Explain.

 **SAOIRSE:** _(frowns)_ I thought we were here to talk about me?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Apologies. Please continue.

 **SAOIRSE:** Now where were we? _(pause)_ Oh right. _(slams fists on table, breaking the table)_ Do you have any idea what it's like where we come from?

 **INTERVIEWER:** No. Do tell.

 **SAOIRSE:** So imagine everything that happened with this whole Covenant thing. You thinking about it?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes.

 **SAOIRSE:** Okay. Now imagine all of Humanity reduced to no more than a few million people at most. All your colonies are burned to the ground. Everything on Earth reduced to rubble, reclaimed by nature. Now imagine those very aliens colonizing and scavenging Earth. Imagine the remainder of humanity living in a giant walled city, hidden in the mountains. And the majority of the people live in ramshackle huts, trying to scratch out an existence. And the only thing that keeps this fragile existence from completely falling apart is yours truly.

 **INTERVIEWER:**...

 **SAOIRSE:** _(leans back)_ I have seen some shit. Now I'm not saying that you all haven't had a rough time. You asked and I told you what I know. _(glances at the broken table)_ Sorry about the table.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I think we'll take a break now.

 _-END RECORDING-_

 **INTERVIEWER:** Please state your name for the record.

 **SUBJECT:** _(unintelligible)_

 **INTERVIEWER:** I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?

 **SUBJECT:** _(unintelligible)_

 **INTERVIEWER:** One more time please?

 **SUBJECT:** _(microphone slides across the table)_ My name is Valentina.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Valentina? Is that correct?

 **VALENTINA:** Yes.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Can you try and speak up please?

 **VALENTINA:** _(fidgets in seat)_ I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this sort of thing.

 **INTERVIEWER:** At what? Talking to people?

 **VALENTINA:** _(nods)_

 **INTERVIEWER:** You seem to get along with your teammates.

 **VALENTINA:** _(frowns)_ I know them. I don't know you.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Not a people person?

 **VALENTINA:** _(glares)_ 'I love Humanity...it's people I can't stand.'

 **INTERVIEWER:** Interesting quote. Who said it?

 **VALENTINA:** _(shrugs)_ Dunno. Someone a long time ago. I heard it once and it kinda made sense to me.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Can you tell us about yourself?

 **VALENTINA:** What did the others say?

 **INTERVIEWER:** About you?

 **VALENTINA:** _(nods)_

 **INTERVIEWER:** Not much. They hardly talked about themselves. Not that we didn't give them a chance.

 **VALENTINA:** _(surprised)_ Saoirse didn't say anything?

 **INTERVIEWER:** No, she told us plenty. Just not anything we really wanted to know.

 **VALENTINA:** Everyone has secrets, wouldn't you agree?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes.

 **VALENTINA:** And if we told our secrets, they wouldn't be secret anymore, would they?

 **INTERVIEWER:** I guess not. Is there anything you are willing to tell us?

 **VALENTINA:** _(long pause)_ I'm a Guardian.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Like the others?

 **VALENTINA:** Yes and no. All of us are Guardians, yes, but I am a Warlock. Selene is a Hunter and Saoirse is a Titan.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Can you tell us what a Warlock is?

 **VALENTINA:** I guess the best way to explain it would be that Warlocks are like battle mages, using knowledge gleaned from study and experience, and harnessing arcane powers for use.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Is that so?

 **VALENTINA:** I can tell you are skeptical.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Would you be willing to give us a demonstration?

 **VALENTINA:** In here? This tiny room?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes.

 **VALENTINA:** I don't think that's a very good idea.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Why not?

 **VALENTINA:** I'm still learning to control my powers, and I might cause an accident. Besides, _(slight grin)_ I'd be sharing some of my secrets.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Okay, some other time then. Now, you said you were still learning to control your powers?

 **VALENTINA:** _(nods)_

 **INTERVIEWER:** Does that mean you haven't been a Guardian very long?

 **VALENTINA:** Yes.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And the others?

 **VALENTINA:** _(glances at the door, then to the mirror)_ Selene is the oldest, meaning she's been a Guardian the longest. Then Saoirse, then me.

 **INTERVIEWER:** How long has Selene been a Guardian?

 **VALENTINA:** I don't know, why don't you ask her?

 **INTERVIEWER:** We tried and she wouldn't say.

 **VALENTINA:** Then perhaps that's one of her secrets?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Perhaps. Let's continue this at a later time.

 _-END RECORDING-_


	2. Session 1: Selene

**INTERVIEWER:** Can you start at the beginning?

 **SELENE:** The beginning of what? The universe? The world? When I first became an Exo? There's lots of beginnings. You're going to have to be more specific.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Let's just start with when you met the SPARTANS.

 **SELENE:** Oh, that beginning. Listen, before we get started, I just want to know how long you plan on keeping us here. I'm pretty sure I've counted every speck of dust in this room.

 **INTERVIEWER:** ** _(_** _looks around)_ I don't see any dust.

 **SELENE:** That's my point. I've been in this room pretty much since we got here. I also want to see the other two.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I'll see what we can work out. In the meantime, can you tell us what happened?

 **SELENE:** Well as far as you're concerned, it started out like any other day.

* * *

Selene woke to a constant beeping sound. Her eyes opened and took a minute to focus while she stretched and the rest of her systems booted up. After a minute or so, she was fully awake and sighed. "People just won't leave me alone," she said.

"I find that hard to believe, since you hardly socialize with anyone," her ghost said. It appeared and hovered in front of her. The Ghosts all seemed to have individual personalities and hers was no different. It tended to be a bit sassy and annoyed Selene to no end sometimes, but she didn't mind.

"How long were you watching me sleep, you little creeper," Selene asked and pressed a blinking button on her console. She had fallen asleep in the cockpit of her jump ship, which happened often. Her ship was larger than most and that suited her just fine. That meant she could carry more supplies without having to go to the Tower.

"I don't watch you sleep. That is just creepy and rude, as you put it," Ghost said. It turned back to the console and watched the data stream across the display. "It seems there was an unknown signal originating from the Moon."

Selene sighed and stretched. She unbuckled herself from her seat and walked around to loosen her joints. "Hmm. How convenient we're already in Moon orbit. How long has this been broadcasting?"

"Not long, about an hour or so," Ghost said.

Selene stopped and stared at the bulkhead and thought about what to do. With the defeat of Oryx, the Taken King and Hive god, you'd think activity would have died down in Hive locations. If anything, activity had even increased. Selene sighed. It didn't matter. She would go out and do her due diligence and defeat the enemies of Humanity. "Do you think others will investigate?" she asked.

"Hard to say," Ghost said. "Most of the Guardian activity has been focused on cleaning up the SIVA mess in the Plague Lands. But I'm sure there are others like you who will just do whatever you want, regardless of the Tower's wishes."

Selene made a face as much as her metal and mechanical parts would allow. "Well it's not like I have anything better to do," she said and sat back down. "Any idea where on the Moon this signal is originating?"

Ghost scanned the signal and shook itself side to side, mimicking a shaking head. "Hard to say. I'll have a better idea once we're on the surface." Selene took the controls and piloted her ship closer to the surface. As the ship hovered over the drop point, Selene gathered her gear and when she nodded at Ghost, transmatted to the surface.

When her eyes cleared, she looked up and watched the autopilot take her ship back to orbit, where it would wait until called. Selene pulled her hand cannon and checked the loadout. Satisfied, she holstered the gun and pulled the rifle off her shoulder. Selene chambered a round, checked the scope and made sure the safety was still on. Finally convinced she was prepared, Selene set out across the surface of the Moon.

Long ago, Humanity had built colonies and research stations on the Moon. After the Collapse, everything had fallen into disrepair. Looking up, one could see a ring of space junk that had naturally formed in lunar orbit. Since there was no air in space, everything was exactly as it was left. Slight terraforming from Hive activity had hollowed out most of the Moon and altered its gravity. One still had to be careful when jumping around, lest you find yourself in orbit.

Selene reached the edge of a crater and looked up at the old mass accelerator looming above. Once Guardians were able to travel to the Moon's surface, this was one of the first places they discovered. The equipment was old and broken and wouldn't work without extensive repair. Unfortunately, that knowledge was currently lost. Selene looked around and checked the motion tracker on her helmet's head's up display. No activity. Good. That meant the Fallen were busy elsewhere. "Get a lock on that signal yet?" Selene asked.

Ghost appeared in front of her. Its eight star points spread wide and it gently pulsed with blue energy. "I still can't get a good lock, but it seems to be coming from the Hellmouth," it said.

"Figures," Selene groused.

"I figured you'd be happy, considering how much time we've spent down in those tunnels," Ghost said. Selene waved it off. "Just get me my Sparrow so we can get going," she said. Once again, Ghost spread itself out and a white wireframe appeared and quickly became a hovering, rocket powered speeder. Ghost disappeared and Selene hopped on her Sparrow.

"There's not a lot of activity which is strange," Ghost said in her helmet speakers.

"Makes it easier for me then," Selene said. She opened the throttle and sped off into the distance.

Selene wasn't sure what was worse: The trash heap Humanity left behind, or the destruction the Hive had caused. Both had left the Moon in a sorry state. With all the tunnels and hollowing out of the Moon the Hive caused, Selene wondered why the Moon hadn't broken apart yet. Probably arcane Hive magic or something. Selene didn't really care.

Once upon a time, back when she was still fairly new, Selene had wandered around the Moon in awe. Like her Ghost has mentioned, she'd spent days exploring all the nooks and crannies the Hive had dug under the surface. Granted, it was extremely dangerous, but Selene had been naïve and overconfident in her abilities. There was a few times she wasn't sure she was going to survive, but she pulled through somehow. Then Eris returned and told them exactly what they faced. It was worse than Selene could have imagined.

Selene shook her head, clearing the memories from her mind. Keep your focus on the now, lest you become a footnote to history. She sped around craters and wrecked vehicles and habitats before cresting a rise and falling down the other side. Up ahead was the Hellmouth, an enormous, festering wound on the surface of the Moon. Through unknown means, the Hive had turned a large crater into a temple of darkness and magic. Selene didn't know what the Hive actually called it, but seeing how this pit was the entrance to hellish nightmares, Hellmouth seemed appropriate. Selene shuddered. The things she had seen sent a crawling feeling though her metal body.

"This is definitely the source," Ghost said. "We'll have to go deeper to find the actual location."

"No time like the present," Selene said and sped off. The entrance was on the far side from where she was. As she traveled around the crater, Selene saw a small squad of Fallen. They saw her, shouted and shot at her, but she ignored them and left them behind. She avoided a Hive outpost and stopped on a ridge where the Moon's surface had uplifted. Selene hopped off her Sparrow and reached for her rifle. Out of all the sniper rifles Selene owned, Stillpiercer was probably her favorite. It was a semi-automatic rifle with excellent range. The four round magazine held large caliber bullets with decent penetrating power. Under the right circumstances, a single headshot would dispatch most enemies.

Selene knelt down and peered through the scope. Again, not much activity. She only saw a few Hive Acolytes standing around acting like sentries. Behind them and just inside the doorway, a large Hive Knight paced around. She'd take out that one first. The knight stopped moving and Selene centered the crosshairs on its head and pulled the trigger. The recoil pushed the barrel of the rifle up, but the bullet was well on its way and Selene watched with some satisfaction the knight's head explode from the bullet impact. The body went slack and crumbled to dust. The Acolytes hadn't heard the shot, but noticed the Knight was dead. They looked around to figure out why. Selene quickly sighted another target and pulled the trigger. She missed the head, but the bullet tore a hole through the Acolyte's torso and it collapsed to the ground.

By now, the rest had taken cover. Selene stayed patient and used her remaining two bullets to get rid of more guards. Selene changed magazines in her rifle, then pulled out her hand cannon and strolled casually to the entrance.

The Hawkmoon. A large caliber handgun belonging to a class of weapons known as Hand Cannons. Hawkmoon was a special hand cannon of almost mythical status. The original was probably lost to time somewhere, but lucky Guardians had been able to find blueprints to this weapon. Selene found hers as a reward for completing the Prison of Elders in the Reef. Selene liked it because it was accurate at long range, packed a heavy punch, and had a thirteen round magazine, the most of any hand cannon. Plus, the thing just looked _so cool._ Hawkmoon in hand, Selene killed the last of the guards and ventured inside.

Selene descended the stairs and kept a close eye on her motion tracker. She didn't pick anything up until she reached the entrance to a room known as the Gatehouse. She peeked inside and saw a group of Acolytes milling about. She reloaded her hand cannon and stepped inside. Selene drew a bead on the closet Acolyte and shot it in the head. The rest reacted and started shooting and taking cover. Selene dispatched them one by one, taking cover when necessary. Their shots chipped away at her shields, but did no lasing harm.

When they were all dead, Selene took a moment to look around. The left side of the room was open and she looked over the edge and into the abyss. Further down, she could see some of the lower levels, but beyond that, an eerie greenish-white glow came from the bottomless pit. Sickly green motes of light floated about and disappeared the higher they went. Selene imagined she could hear the screams of the damned whispering from the depths.

"Um hello, Ghost to Selene. We're here to investigate a mysterious radio signal from the pits of Hell, rememeber?" Ghost said.

"I didn't forget," Selene mumbled, and continued forward. The further down she traveled, artificial lighting took the place of natural lighting. She entered into a large chamber. In the center, two large chains intertwined and led from the ceiling through the floor, connecting who knew what. An acolyte saw her and stated shooting, so Selene shot it. This alerted the others in the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Selene saw a Hive Wizard floating near the middle of the room. Hive Wizards happened to be all female for some reason, one of the few Hive to have a gender distinction. Selene quickly swapped her hand cannon for her sniper rifle and quickly put two rounds through the Wizard's head. She cleaned out the rest of the room, but her motion tracker still showed red. Probably from enemies further in.

Selene turned to the exit and was surprised. By a group of Hive Thrall. Thrall were the lowest on the Hive food chain. They ran in packs and could quickly overwhelm unprepared Guardians. They were also dispatched easily. Surprised, Selene jumped back and threw down a grenade. It exploded and a wall of purple Void fire appeared, incinerating most of the Thrall. The flames died out and Selene shot the last two thrall. "Hmm. That's what I get for not paying attention," she said.

"Please do," Ghost said. "Dying from inattentiveness is so embarrassing."

Selene frowned to herself and continued onward. Piles of bones littered the floor and Selene often wondered whose bones they were. Human? Hive? Fallen? Something else? Selene entered another chamber, killed all the Hive soldiers inside, and kept going. Soon, she was deep enough where there was no light. Ghost appeared over her shoulder and acted as a flashlight. This compounded the creepy feeling of the place.

The tunnel emerged into a large cavern. Selene crossed the bridge to the other side and looked down. Once she had thrown a rock down there just to see what would happen. The rock disappeared below, never to be seen again. Presumably, it fell straight to the center of the Moon.

"Sometimes I wonder what's going on down there," Ghost said.

"Nothing good, that's for sure," Selene said. She continued to the other side and into the Circle of Bones.

"The signal is getting stronger," Ghost said.

"Which way?" Selene asked. Ghost placed a marker on her HUD. Selene mused over her options. In the distance opposite of her HUD marker, she saw an Acolyte patrolling around. On a whim, she pulled out her sniper rifle and found a Wizard. She waited for it to stop mobbing and put a bullet through its head. The other Acolytes saw her and rushed to meet her. Selene tossed another grenade, but it landed behind the Acolytes and had little effect. Some of them grouped together, so Seleen threw a smoke bomb in their midst. It exploded into a cloud of toxic vapor that killed several of the Acolytes and Selene took care of the rest with her Hawkmoon.

"What purpose did that serve?" Ghost asked.

"Things have been strangely boring, so I wanted to liven it up a little," Selene said.

"Why do I have the feeling you just jinxed us?" Ghost sighed.

"If it bothers you that much, call the other two for backup," Selene said.

"No, there's no point right now," Ghost said.

Selene continued onward, following the HUD maker this time. She killed more hive and arrived at a courtyard that opened up to the center of the Hellmouth. Selene looked up. "Just think how much easier it would be if you could just jump from up there to down here," she said. "Would save a lot of time and bullets."

"Speaking of bullets, you're starting to run low," Ghost said. Selene took the time to synthesize more ammunition and made sure all her guns were good to go. She turned down another tunnel and kept going, eventually coming to a chamber that didn't match any other they had seen so far. Instead of a Gothic horror feel, this had changed to a more futuristic and alien design. The lighting was colder, more mechanical, and the tunnels and chambers had more symmetry. Thick armored cables ran down the sides, glowing with power.

"We're close enough that I believe the signal is coming from the Shrine of Oryx," Ghost said. Selene stopped. "How is that possible? I thought it stopped transmitting when it was destroyed?"

"That is true, but it is still active, but in a lesser capacity," Ghost said.

Selene merely nodded her head in reply when a surge of energy flooded the area and caused her helmet to blank out. "Ghost! What happened?" Selene called. No answer. "Ghost!"

"I'm still here," Ghost replied. Its voice was scratchy and static filled her helmet. "That power surge temporarily knocked out your armor systems. They're rebooting now." After a moment, Selene's helmet cleared and she could see again. Her shield blinked red, then recharged to full.

"Um, this might be a bad time, but the signal is gone," Ghost said.

Selene stopped. "Well, we've come this far. Might as well check it out."

"Sure. We might be able to get something out of it," Ghost said.

As Selene made her way closer, Ghost piped up. "Okay, this is really weird now."

"Now what?" Selene asked.

"The signal we were tracking is gone, but now I'm getting what appears to be short wave radio communication," Ghost said. "It's not any frequency used by Guardians or the Tower."

Selene stopped and took cover behind a large pillar while she thought. "Do you think it's related to that signal or energy surge?" she asked.

"It's possible," Ghost said. "We should hurry. I'm getting increased Hive activity."

Selene sighed and took off running. She killed all the Hive enemies she encountered. She ran through a long circular tunnel and emerge into the large chamber that housed the Shrine of Oryx. Once upon a time, this room had been dominated by a large sphere made of an unknown type of metal. It spun slowly like a globe and four mechanical arms with pointers traced along its surface, similar to how old record players worked. A small team of Guardians had destroyed the orb. The rest of the room was circular with the base the orb sat in the middle. A series of large energy cables attached to the base. Underneath the base was a small room with a glowing terminal.

Laying on the ground in front of the base four armored figures. One was red, one was blue, and one was white. The fourth was wearing different armor that looked not as heavy or advanced as the other three. None of them were moving much. "Are they Guardians?" Selene asked.

"I'm not sure. Their armor isn't like anything I've ever seen before," Ghost said. "I'm matching your communication frequency so you can talk to them."

There was a moment of static, then an unknown voice came across Selene's helmet speakers. "Are you there God? It's me Allen."

"I'm not God, but I can hear you just fine," Selene said.

The red and blue figures turned to look her direction. Their armor was in rough shape. All of them had deep scorch marks and dings and scratches from small arms fire. The person in white armor hadn't moved since Selene arrived. "Looks like I made it in the nick of time," Selene added.

"Well, sure," the man in blue said. Selene figured he was a man from the sound of his voice. "We'd be grateful for any help you could give us."

"Cold you tell us who you are and where we are?" the red one asked.

Selene cocked her head to the side. "You must be new here. You can call me Selene and we're on the Moon."


	3. Session 2: Selene

**INTEVIEWER:** So you found them like that?

 **SELENE:** That's what I said isn't it?

 **INTERVIEWER:** What happened next?

 **SELENE:** We sat around in a circle, drank hot chocolate, held hands and sang Kumbaya. Even the Hive joined in. It was great.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Really?

 **SELENE:** No.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What really happened?

 **SELENE:** Like I said, they were in bad shape. I wasn't sure if they could walk, let alone fight their way out. So I call the other two.

 **INTERVIWER:** What happened then?

 **SELENE:** Things got interesting.

* * *

A roaring caused Selene to look back to the entrance. She had a feeling they wouldn't be alone much longer. She looked back to the slowly moving armored figures. "Can you move at all?"

"Gee, what do you think?" the red one asked. Selene punched him in the helmet. "If you got time for sass, you got time to shoot," she said.

"Ooh, I like you already," the blue one said.

"Do you have any weapons?" Selene asked.

Red and Blue stared at each other. "Nope. Don't think so," Red said.

"What about your Ghosts?" Selene asked. Red and Blue stared at her. "Our what now?" Blue asked. The roaring drew closer.

"We'll fight about this later," Selene sighed. She held out her hand and Ghost appeared. "Okay Ghost, here's what I want you to do. Get on the radio and call those two ASAP. Tell them if they don't get here now, I'll kill them until they get sick of resurrecting." Ghost blinked for a few seconds and said, "Done."

"Good. Next, pull out all the weapons in my inventory so these knuckleheads defend themselves," Selene said.

"Um, is that wise?" Ghost asked. Selene grabbed her Ghost with her hand and gave it a good shake. "Do as I say you little runt! We don't have time for this!" she said and let it go. Ghost gave itself a good shake. "You're so abusive," it said and a pile of weapons materialized on the floor.

Red and Blue stared at the weapons. "This…this is like the happiest day of my life!" Red said. Blue groaned and reached through the pile. "Which one is the best?" he asked.

"All of them are good," Selene said. "Hurry up and choose." Red chose an auto rifle and Blue chose a scout rifle. Both also chose shotguns. One particular weapon caught Red's eye. "What is that?" he breathed in awe.

Selene looked at the weapon he pointed to while Ghost put the rest back in storage. "That is the legendary Gjallarhorn rocket launcher," Selene said.

"It's so pretty," Red gasped and caressed it gently. The roar was closer now and shook the cavern.

"Okay. See that little barrier there?" Selene asked and pointed. Red and Blue nodded. "Take your two friends and hide behind that. If you have to, stuff your friends back near that terminal." Red and Blue started dragging their friends behind cover. "So you two have names, or am I going to have to call you Red and Blue forever?" Selene asked.

"I'm Allen and this is Steve," Blue said and pointed to Red.

"Howdy," Steve said with a little wave.

"Saoirse and Val are on the way," Ghost interrupted.

A door opened and a large group of Hive enemies appeared, mostly Thrall and Acolytes with a few Knights. "Excuse me. I have to take care of a few things," Selene said and turned to the Hive. She focused her Void energy in her hands and fashioned a bow out of the purple energy. She drew back an arrow and let it fly, right into the center of the Hive formation. The arrow struck an Acolyte, who disintegrated into nothing. With a flash of purple light, Void tethers snaked out and ensnared the rest of the Hive. Selene threw a grenade and a smoke bomb right in the middle. They both exploded and all the tethered enemies vaporized in a flash of light. There were a few survivors and Selene picked them off one by one.

She turned back and saw Steve and Allen staring at her. "Wha…what was that?" Allen asked.

"Yeah! That was amazing!" Steve added. Before Selene could answer, the door opened again and the biggest Hive Knight Selene had ever seen entered the room. It stood at least thirty feet tall and carried a sword twice as big as Selene. More Acolytes and Thrall also appeared.

"You two! Take out the Thralls and Acolytes!" Selene shouted. "I'll take care of the big guy!" Allen and Steve responded by opening fire on the Hive soldiers. Taken by surprise, many of them died before taking cover and shooting back.

In the meantime, Selene concentrated on the Mega Hive Knight. She stayed just out of reach of its massive sword and shot at its head. The Mega Knight roared in fury and stomped the ground, sending out a shockwave and knocked Selene back. She retreated back behind the base and shot the Mega Knight in the head as fast as she could pull the trigger on her sniper rifle. Before long, the last magazine went dry and the rifle locked open.

Selene stowed her rifle. "Ghost! Big gun!" she said and a large Heavy Machinegun appeared in her hands. Instead of metal, it looked like it was made of white bone and a strange red material. Selene didn't care what it was made of, only that it killed a lot of things with surprisingly manageable recoil. She peeked out of cover and saw Mega Knight was zeroing in on Steve and Allen. Selene threw out her grenade-smoke bomb combo and the Mega Knight staggered. Selene stepped out and unloaded the entire magazine at the Knight's head.

Back near the main entrance, another group of Hive enemies appeared, this time with an Ogre in their midst.

"Um Selene? A little help please?" Allen asked.

"Another of those things? What next?" Steve shouted.

The new group of enemies suddenly scattered as an armored figure came barreling through like a bowling ball. "Steeeeeerrike! And the crowd goes wild" she shouted as she killed the nearby enemies.

"Saoirse! Help me with the Mega Knight! Val, cover the two dudes in red and blue armor!" Selene shouted. By now her heavy machinegun was reloaded and she continued to fire at the Mega Knight.

"Hey there ugly! I killed your mom last night!" Saoirse shouted at the Mega Knight and charged right at it. It roared in reply and went to smash Saoirse with its sword. Before it could, Selene tethered it with another Void arrow. "Catch these hands bitch!" Saoirse said. She charged her body with Arc energy and jumped as high as she could. Just as she reached the apex of her jump, Saoirse shot forward like a bullet and landed at the Knight's feet in an explosion of electrical energy. While the Mega Knight writhed in agony, Saoirse punched it as hard as she could in the shin and jumped back, shooting rockets.

Steve and Allen watched in awe. The ogre fired its energy beam at them, reminding them they were still in a fight. They both ducked behind cover and jumped in surprise when they saw they weren't alone. "Hello," the newcomer said.

"Gah! Who are you?" Steve asked in surprise.

"Um, I'm Valentina," she said softly. "Selene asked me to help cover you."

"Um, okay?" Allen said. Valentina looked over their heads at the ogre. "I recommend taking care of that as soon as possible," she said.

"Okay, how?" Steve asked. Valentina looked down and saw the Gjallarhorn. "Is that Selene's Gjallarhorn?" she asked.

"This beautiful piece of art? Yeah," Steve swooned.

"Okay. Perfect. Use that," Valentina said. She pulled out her scout rifle and started shooting the Ogre in the head.

Steve picked up the rocket launcher and raised it to his shoulder. He looked through the sight and heard a warbling tone, indicating lock on. "Eat this," Steve said and pulled the trigger. The rocket burst forth from the launcher and streaked toward the Ogre. However, before hitting the Ogre, the rocket exploded and broke apart into little seeker bomblets, causing even more damage. The Ogre howled in pain.

"Oh. My. God! That was amazing!" Steve exclaimed.

"That was VERY impressive," Allen added.

"Um, could you keep shooting?" Valentina asked. She had switched to another weapon that shot energy projectiles at the Ogre.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Steve said and kept shooting rockets until he was out of ammo. "Okay, I seriously love this thing," Steve said, staring at the Gjallarhorn.

"No fair. I wanted to shoot it too," Allen pouted.

Valentina turned to say something and Allen and Steve watched in horror as she caught the Ogre beam full force. They watched helplessly as Valentina tried in vain to get away or find cover. When the beam finally ended, Valentina's body was a charred husk. "Um, that wasn't our fault was it?" Allen asked quietly.

"Selene won't be happy when she finds out about this," Steve said.

Just then, the charred remains burst into flame and like the phoenix, Valentina rose from the ashes, bathed in fire and golden light. She began lobbing fiery orbs at the Ogre as fast as she could, turning the area around the Ogre into a pyre and burning it alive. "Keep shooting!" she shouted. Snapped out of their daze, Allen and Steve emptied every gun they had into the Ogre. With a final cry, the Ogre collapsed into a burning husk.

About that time, Selene and Saoirse finished with the Mega Knight. When it was all over, they grouped together and sized each other up. "Now that the immediate danger is out of the way, introductions?" Selene offered.

"I'm Saoirse," Saoirse said. She wore red and white matching armor with a fur collar. Her shoulder pauldrons were shaped like ornate eagle heads. A red and white towel hung on her belt near her right hip. She was taller than Selene and didn't seem bothered by the weight of her armor.

"My name is Valentina," Valentina said. She wore a dark blue overcoat that hung down past her knees. Her chest and back armor was gold colored and covered with ornate patterns. On her left bicep was a purple band that displayed red and yellow lights in a holographic pattern.

"I'm Steve and this is Allen," Steve said, pointing to himself and Allen. "Those two back there are also with us," he added, throwing a thumb in their direction.

"Don't forget about me chucklebrains," a new female voice added.

"Ah yes. We could never forget about you Mom," Steve said.

"You're just lucky Aurora's armor is still rebooting or I'd give it to you good," she threatened.

"Oh, don't tempt me," Steve said.

"Anyway," Allen interrupted, "That is the voice of our A.I. companion Isis."

"If it weren't for me, you would be dead," Isis huffed.

"Yeah, and because of you, we're in this mess," Steve shot back.

"That's a low blow," Isis said quietly.

"I'm sorry. It's not your fault," Steve apologized. "See what you made me do? I made her mad."

"Okay, that may be true, but it's our fault we're here right now," Allen said. Selene, Saoirse, and Valentina shared a look. "I'm sure it's a fabulous tale, full of fabulous adventure and pithy quips, but I think you should save it until we get out of here," Saoirse said.

"Can you walk?" Selene asked.

"Oh yea," Steve assured them. "Nothing like a good firefight and threat of death to get the blood pumping."

"What about you Isis?" Allen asked.

"Just going through final systems checks. Should be online shortly," Isis said. Moment later, the white armor lit up, but remained motionless. "Aurora is unconscious. She must have taken a pretty bad blow to the head," Isis said.

"Is there atmosphere in here?" Allen asked. Selene shook her head. "It's all open to space. There's no airlocks or anything like that."

"Isis, is there anything you can do from inside?" Allen asked.

"Hmm. I'll have to check. Give me a minute," Isis said. A few moments later, Aurora's body twitched and she suddenly sat up screaming and thrashing around, scaring everyone.

"Whoa! Calm down woman!" Steve shouted and tried to subdue her. Allen helped and together, they calmed her down. "Where are we? What happened?" Aurora asked.

"Well, the too long; didn't read version is we blew up a portal and got sucked into another universe," Allen said.

"Remember those enemies we fought? Yeah, there's more of them here. And they don't like us," Steve added. Aurora shook her head and immediately grabbed her head. "Ooh, it hurts," she moaned.

"Yep. Walk it off there soldier," Steve said and patted her on the shoulder. Aurora looked up and stared at Selene, Saoirse and Valentina. "Who are they?"

"Okay, another too long; didn't read, they are our new friends," Allen said. Selene said nothing, Saoirse struck a heroic pose and Valentina offered a small wave. Aurora sighed and wobbled to her feet. "I need a gun," she groaned.

"Oh, let me show you something!" Steve said excitedly. He ran off and returned holding the Gjallarhorn. "Look at this thing! Isn't it the most awesome thing you've ever seen?"

Aurora rubbed her head. "I'm sure it's great," she said. She looked at the three Guardians. "Can I borrow a weapon?" she asked.

"I already gave them mine," Selene said. Saoirse clapped her hands together. "Okay! Step right up, my diminutive friend and let Saoirse the Titan offer you a sweet deal!" She put her hand to her chin and looked Aurora up and down. "Hmm, let's see. You strike me as a Scout Rifle kind of person." A gun materialized in her hands. "The Distant Star. Looks like a rusted piece of junk, but don't let that fool you. Shoots straight, low recoil, accurate optics, decent magazine size and this particular baby will let you fire In full auto! Go ahead! Give it a try!"

Aurora hesitantly took the gun from Saoirse and put it to her shoulder. "Sights a little fuzzy," she said.

"That's just because it's really old," Saoirse said.

Aurora practiced lowering and raising the weapon. She cycled the action and put the weapon through its paces. Aurora fired a couple of shots at the wall, then held down the trigger until the magazine emptied. "Not bad. I like it," she said.

"Great! I knew it!" Saoirse said, extremely pleased with herself. "Now how about a secondary weapon?"

"I'm listening," Aurora said.

"Now for a secondary, you have a few options such as shotguns, side arm, fusion rifle and shotgun," Saoirse said. "Your scout rifle there is good for medium to long range, so you'll want to pair it with something for closer ranges. I suggest a sidearm or shotgun."

"What do you have?" Aurora said.

"How about a Havoc Pidgeon side arm or Matador 64 shotgun?" Saoirse said. Both weapons appeared in her hands. "No matter what you choose, you won't be disappointed."

Aurora took both weapons and handled them both. Steve leaned into Allen and whispered, "This is really happening right?"

"Yep," Allen said.

Steve nodded his head. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy." Allen shook his head. Here they were, deep in enemy territory in a timeline that wasn't their own, witnessing an arms deal. "Unreal."

"This isn't even the strangest thing I've seen Saoirse do," Selene said. "But that's for another time."

Aurora finally decided on the Havoc Pidgeon and handed the shotgun back to Saoirse. "And here's all the ammo you can carry. Should get you through until we get out of here."

"Okay, now that's decided, what about that person?" Selene asked and pointed to the last unconscious body.

"Oh him? Doctor Chopstick? We can just leave him here," Steve said. "He's worthless."

"That's not true," Aurora argued. "He was instrumental in completing the bomb."

"Oh, so you want to give him a medal now?" Steve asked. "Be my guest. But if he doesn't wake up, you get to carry him."

"How is that fair? I'm the smallest one here," Aurora argued.

"Actually, I think that's me," Valentina said quietly. Saoirse elbowed her to be quiet.

"If anything, you should carry him since you're the biggest," Aurora said.

"Ha! That's what she said!" Steve chuckled.

"What?" Aurora asked.

"What?" Steve replied. Aurora groaned and rubbed her head. "How about we just wake him up?"

"Good idea," Allen said and knelt at the doctor's side. He carefully turned him over and saw no noticeable breaks or tears in his suit. "I'm surprised his suit held up under all that," he said. He shook the doctor gently by the shoulder. "Doctor Chudnoffsky, can you hear me?" Allen shook him harder and harder, but no answer.

"He must really be out if he didn't wake up during the firefight," Steve said.

"Fine, I'll carry him," Allen said and gently lifted the doctor in a fireman's carry.

Selene thought for a minute. "We can't transmat out of here because they will be left behind. The quickest way out is back the way we came."

"How do you know that?" Saoirse asked. "This place is a maze down here."

"Only if you don't know where you're going," Selene said. "I've spent enough time down here to know where to go." Saoirse shrugged. "We'll probably encounter some resistance, so be ready for that," Selene added.

"Everyone ready to go?" Saoirse asked and everyone nodded. "Okay. Lead the way, o fearless leader." Selene shook her head and took point. The others followed close behind.

As they made their way through the tunnels, Allen asked, "So what is this place?"

"Like I said before, we're somewhere inside the Moon," Selene said.

"Like Earth's moon?" Steve asked.

"Is there any other?" Selene asked.

"Fair enough," Steve replied. "What is all this then?"

"We don't exactly know," Valentina spoke up. "That place we found you we call the Shrine of Oryx. We aren't sure what it used to be, but we think it was used to communicate with someone or something out in Deep Space."

"I'd say so," Saoirse added. "Seeing how Oryx eventually showed up."

"Makes me wonder about that signal we found on the crashed Cabal ship doing the same thing," Saoirse said. "You don't think…"

"Anyway," Valentina interrupted, "Some time ago, the Moon was hollowed out and used as a Hive staging ground to invade the Earth."

"So too long; didn't read, this Hive are the bad guys and want to kill us all. Good to know," Allen huffed.

"Basically yes," Valentina agreed. "If you want to know more about anything, just ask."

They walked back the way they had come until they reached a wide cavern. "That's the way we came in," Saoirse said, pointing off to the right. Selene nodded. "That's the quickest way back to the surface." Before they could leave, a door opened and a squad of Acolytes and Knights appeared. Selene turned to Saoirse. "Be my guest," she said and waved her arm. Saoirse stowed her weapons and punched her fists together. Arc energy surged over her body and she shouted "LEROOOOOOOOY JEEEEEEEEEEENKINS!" while charging forward. The startled Hive could only watch as Saoirse leapt into their group and pounded her fists on the ground as hard as she could. The whole area erupted with electricity and the Hive were vaporized.

Saoirse took a deep breath. "Ah. I love the smell of charred Hive in the morning." The aftermath of Saoirse's attack faded away and they continued onward.

Steve snuck up next to Saoirse and asked, "What was that? How did you do that? Can you teach me?"

Saoirse stared at Steve. "You all really aren't from around here are you?" Steve shook his head. "Nope. Not at all."

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can teach you then," Saoirse said. "It's a special attack where I channel Arc energy in my body and smash into the ground, releasing the pent-up energy like a bomb. Very effective for crowd control."

"But I want to learn," Steve pouted. They exited the room at the far end and followed the path up and out. As they reached the top, Selene signaled to stop. She crept forward and disappeared through the door. A few startled roars and gunshots later, Selene returned. "All clear. Just had to take care of a few door guards." Everyone resumed the journey and stepped out of the tunnel and out onto the surface of the Moon.

"Oh wow," Allen said. "That's…that's something."

"Yes," Valentina agreed. "It's quite impressive the devastation rent by the Collapse."

"The what now?" Steve asked.

"The Collapse," Valentina said. She turned to Allen and added, "The too long; didn't read is too long; didn't read for right now. I'll explain anything you want to know later"

"Noted," Allen said. They continued upwards on the path and through an abandoned habitat. "On the other side of the mass accelerator is a nice flat area for the ships to land," Selene said.

As they dropped down the edge and into a crater, Selene noticed a few pairs of eyes watching. She pulled out her sniper rifle and pulled the trigger on a head peeking over the edge. A shot rang out and a head disappeared in a cloud of gas. "It's just the Fallen," Selene said. "That should make them think twice"

"The Fallen are a race of aliens that like to scavenge for old technology and parts to use against us," Valentina said. "More enemies."

"You all certainly have a lot of those," Allen said.

They reached a wide flat area without further incident. Selene held out her hand and Ghost appeared. "Bring the ship down," she said.

"I'm on it," Ghost said and disappeared. A few moments later, a shadow appeared overhead and they all looked up to see Selene's ship. It was very large and with blocky black and white stripes. The ship slowly lowered until it was hovering just off the ground. A ramp appeared on the bottom. "All aboard," Selene said and headed up.

Allen turned to Valentina and Saoirse. "What about you?"

"Aw, aren't you sweet," Saoirse said and patted Allen on the cheek. "We have our own ships. Selene's is the only one big enough for all of you to fit." Allen shrugged and headed up the ramp with Steve and Aurora. Once they were on board, the hatch shut and the ship took off into space.

Allen strapped the doctor into a spare seat and headed to the cockpit. "Where are we heading?" he asked.

"Back to the Tower. The Vanguard are going to need to hear about this," Selene said. Aurora detected the sour note in her voice. "Is that bad or something?"

"Let's just say I'm not a fan," Selene said. "Strap in. We'll be there soon." Allen, Steve, and Aurora sat down and buckled in.


	4. Session 3: Saoirse

**INTERVIEWER:** So help me understand this. You ran in, shouted "Catch these hands," exploded a pulse bomb, and punched an enemy the size of a small building?

 **SAOIRSE:** Yeah. What else was I supposed to do? I don't know about you, but that happens all the time for us. Generally speaking, our enemies are all physically bigger than we are. So if you're afraid to get in there and mix it up a little, you're going to have a hard time.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I see. So the three of you against a literal army of enemies? Seems a bit far-fetched to me.

 **SAOIRSE:** (sighs) Really? You're going to sit there and tell me that? I'm sorry. Didn't one of your guys, this 'Master Chief,' cool title by the way, blow up an entire planet by himself? Hasn't he also done crazy and amazing things that make you think, "Holy shit. How the hell did he do that?" It's no different for us. Granted, our enemies are numerous and can snuff us out in heartbeat. We're tough to kill and keep down, but it can be done. Has been done.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Okay. We'll set that aside now. I'd like to talk about your base of operations and command structure. Who's in charge, who gives the orders, that sort of thing.

 **SAOIRSE:** Okay, but don't you want to know what happened next? I thought that's what we were talking about.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Sure. We can go over that.

 **SAOIRSE:** Okay, because it's kind of related to what you want to know.

* * *

Saoirse and Valentina stood around in the Tower Hangar and waited for Selene's ship to land. Their ships were smaller and a bit faster, and they had arrived shortly before. There was a few people milling about, running errands and taking care of business in the hangar. They mostly ignored the two Guardians. Saoirse stood with her arms crossed, staring out the hangar entrance while Valentina hummed to herself, her thoughts a million miles away.

Saoirse sighed and ran her hand through her shoulder length red hair. "What do you suppose that was all about anyway?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Valentina asked, pulled from her thoughts by Saoirse's question. "What was what?"

"What just happened on the Moon!" Saoirse exasperated. "Those guys Selene found were definitely NOT Titans. No Titan I know would have been caught in that situation."

"But what was their situation?" Valentina asked. "We didn't really get anything from Selene other than, 'Come quick, in a situation, I'll kill you if you don't.' I mean, did she even NEED our help? It seemed like she had everything under control."

"Perhaps, but did you see those guys? They looked like they'd been chewed up and spit out and stomped on by an Ogre," Saoirse said.

Valentina shrugged. The light rippled through her dark blue hair. Saoirse noticed she had styled her hair like a pinwheel on the back of her head. She had to admit it looked cute. "By the way, how do you get your hair to do that?" she asked.

"Huh? My hair to do what?" Valentina asked, clearly confused.

"Do…That," Saoirse said and waved her hands around Valentina's head. "Don't get me wrong, it looks cute and all, but I think it would be impractical. Why doesn't it get all messed up in your helmet?"

Valentina shrugged. "Magic I guess?" Saoirse frowned and made a _hmph_ sound. "You Warlocks are all the same. Think you know everything and anything you don't is 'magic' and not worth knowing."

Valentina's face fell. "I don't see why you're so upset. It doesn't get in the way of my job," she pouted.

Saoirse sighed. "C'mon. It's not like that. I'm not really serious," she said and draped her arm around the smaller woman's shoulders. "I'm just a big dumb Titan. I leave all that big brain stuff to those with the big brains."

Valentina looked up at Saoirse. "You're not dumb. You're better at certain things than I am."

Saoirse nodded in agreement. "True, but I don't think either of us can hold a candle to Selene."

Before Valentina could reply, a small speck in the distance quickly grew larger and became Selene's ship. Saoirse and Valentina watched as the large black and white ship landed gently and the elevator groaned under its weight. Jets of steam hissed out of the ventilation ports as the engines shut down. A few moments later, the ramp lowered and Selene walked out with Allen, Steve, Aurora and the last person right behind. Saoirse and Valentina went to meet them.

"Took you long enough," Saoirse said as she drew closer. "I thought you got lost or something." She noticed Selene was wearing different armor that looked more worn and generic. Selene also wore a poncho with a deep hood that hid her face.

Allen, Steve and Aurora still wearing their helmets and were staring at Valentina. She quickly withered under their gaze. "Stop staring," she mumbled and looked away.

"Hey!" Saoirse shouted. "Stop it! You're scaring the baby."

"I'm not a baby," Valentina blushed and punched Saoirse in the arm.

"Um sorry," Allen said. "We're not used to seeing someone like that."

"Yeah," Steve added. "Your skin is all blue and glowy."

Saoirse roughly pushed Steve. "I said leave her alone."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Steve said. "We didn't do anything."

"Okay, that's enough," Selene said, quickly putting herself between Steve and Saoirse. "Let's not start a fight in the hangar. Amanda would probably kill you."

"And you're not exactly on my good list either," Amanda Holliday drawled. Everyone turned to look and saw the Tower Shipwright, Amanda Holliday stroll up to their little group. She wasn't very tall, maybe a bit taller than Valentina. She had short blonde hair that stuck up everywhere and perhaps most noticeable, her right leg was prosthetic from the knee down. She glared at Selene. "You know all ships have to have regular maintenance. Otherwise, they'll fall from the sky," she said.

"Yes mother," Selene sighed.

"Do you know how long it's been since your ship has been in for maintenance?" Amanda asked.

"I have a feeling you're going to tell us," Selene mumbled.

"Three years!" Amanda was nearly shouting. "I had to look it up! I can't believe it? How has that thing not fallen apart by now?"

Selene shrugged. "I'm just that good?"

"Uh-uh. No way," Amanda waggled her finger in Selene's face. "That thing is grounded until I get all caught up with maintenance and repairs." She turned to the others and smiled. "Sorry. Kinda got carried away there. You all must be new. Name's Amanda. I'm in charge of the hangar and responsible for keeping these rust buckets in the air." She turned and glared at Selene. "Despite SOME people." Selene rolled her eyes.

"Um. Yeah," Allen said, not sure what to make of what just happened. He looked around. On the flight from the Moon, Selene had said very little. It seemed to Allen she was very reluctant to come back to the Tower for some reason. Now they were here, Allen finally got the chance to see it with his own eyes. He wasn't sure what to expect. The hangar was very large, most the space was taken up by ships and spare parts. Technicians and robots were busy with repairs. This Amanda person seemed like a capable leader.

"So, what is this place exactly?" Steve asked.

"This is the Tower Hangar," Amanda said. "Most of the ships operated by the Guardians are kept here. Some civilian supply ships are also kept here."

"Where does all this come from?" Aurora asked.

"Salvage mostly," Amanda said. "Guardians bring back parts and blueprints from their travels and we do our best to put them together and keep them flying."

"This is great and all, but I need to get these guys to the Vanguard," Selene said.

"Okay then. Welcome to the Tower!" Amanda said with a wave. Selene led the group out of the hangar and out to the Tower Plaza. The Plaza was a wide, open air courtyard. Near the hangar entrance, a stall was set up with a group of Guardians crowded around. Just beyond that were three tall pillars, each with four terminals. On the far side was a round building with two stalls located inside. Across the Plaza was the entrance to Tower North. In the middle was a set of stairs leading down and stairs that went up to the next level. On the left was a railing that ran along the edge of the Plaza and dropped off hundreds of feet to the valley floor. Off in the distance, inner walls circled the city.

"Wow. That's impressive," Steve said with a whistle.

"Yeah. Nice view," Allen added.

"What's that?" Aurora asked and they all looked to see where she was pointing.

"That big white ball thing hanging over the city?" Saoirse asked. Aurora nodded.

"That's the Traveler," Selene said. "The story is too long and complicated to get into now." She headed down the stairs in front of them and waved for them to follow. "Right now, we need to go see the Big Bosses."

They followed Selene down the stairs and through the middle of the plaza. The place wasn't very crowded and no one gave them a second look. "I guess these people are used to weird," Allen said.

"Or perhaps it's because you seem to fit right in," Saoirse said. "A lot of people around here are used to seeing heavily armored people running around. To them, you aren't even noticeable."

"Ouch. That hurts my pride," Steve said.

"Shut up and follow," Selene said. They went down the first set of stairs and Aurora noticed a mural on the wall of a shield in four parts surrounded by a circle. "What's that?" she asked.

"That represents the three types of Guardians," Valentina said. "Top left is for Warlocks. Next to that is the Hunters. Below the Warlocks is for Titans."

"What about the last section?" Allen asked. Valentina shrugged. "No one really remembers. Some think it represents the Speaker. Others think it signifies Humanity as a whole."

"Hmm. Neat," Steve said and they walked down the next set of stairs and were met by a woman in brown armor mumbling to herself. "That's Eris. She's crazy," Saoirse whispered loudly. "Let's go before she catches us!" She quickly pulled the others through the doorway. In the hallway was a large man in armor standing behind a table. He stood with authority and had an aura of command about him. He was watching several video feeds and commenting to himself. Opposite him, a robot was manning a desk.

Saoirse led them through the next doorway and down a set of stairs into a recessed section of the floor. Down in the center was a table with three people standing around. At the head was a large man with blue skin similar to Valentina. He wore heavy plate armor with ornate designs. On his right and halfway down the table stood another man. At least, he looked like a man. From this distance, it was hard to see his features hidden in his hood. At the foot of the table was a bald, dark skinned woman wearing pink robes.

"These are the Vanguard leaders," Saoirse explained. "Each is a representative of the Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks. Together, they oversee all Guardian operations and are in charge of maintaining the safety of the city."

"Wait here," Selene said and pushed her way through the group. She approached the man at the center of the table. He noticed her and looked up. "As I live and breathe! Selene the Fifth has graced us with her presence!"

"And not by choice, Cayde the Sixth," Selene retorted.

* * *

 **INTERVIEWER:** Selene the Fifth? What does that mean?

 **SAOIRSE:** All Exos have a number. For instance, Selene's is five.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What does the number mean?

 **SAOIRSE:** Who knows? The commonly accepted theory is that's the number of mind wipes or reboots that Exo has had.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Mind wipes?

 **SAOIRSE:** Yeah. Look, Exos are extremely complicated A.I. or computers or whatever. Eventually, their memory gets full and you have to perform a data dump. Like I said, no one actually knows what the number means, but the mind wipe theory makes sense. There's this Exo, name's Banshee. His number is 44. 44! And if you talk to him, he sound like he's not all there upstairs, y'know? Anyway, can I get back to my story?

 **INTERVIEWER:** But why Didn't Selene tell us that?

 **SAOIRSE:** Because she doesn't trust you. Because she doesn't like you. I don't know! Maybe she didn't feel like it. Besides, referring to an Exo by their name and number is like using your full name. Do you use your full name every time you talk to people? 'Hello, my name is John Doe Smith. John Doe Smith this and John Doe Smith that.' You'd think that guy was a douche bag or something. Can I get on with my story, or are you going to interrupt me ten thousand times with dumb questions?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Please continue.

* * *

"So if not to remind yourself of my rouge-ish charm, what is it then?" Cayde asked. Selene looked around. "Can we talk privately?"

Cayde looked around. "No I will not sleep with you, you pervert!" he said in a loud, monotone voice. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at them. "Now that we've got that out of the way, mind telling me why the cloak and dagger?"

Selene's red eyes burned in the darkness of her hood. "Fine. We'll play your stupid games," she said. She whipped the hood off her head and heard a gasp. She turned and saw Steve had his hands on his helmet and Allen was pointing at her. "You're a robot?" he exclaimed.

"And you're a moron," Selene shot back. "Now that we've established that fact, let me tell you how I found these idiots." She proceeded to tell them the entire story. "And then I brought them here," Selene finished. "And to get introductions out of the way, this is Cayde, that's Zavala," she pointed at the armored man, "And that's Ikora," she pointed to the dark skinned woman.

"Wow. Impressive," Cayde said.

"Your hunters are just as disrespectful as you are," Ikora said.

"Not now Ikora," Zavala said. He looked to the others and said, "Welcome to the Tower. Eventually we'd like to hear your story from you, but in the meantime, we can provide you with quarters to rest and relax after your ordeal."

"Thank you sir," Allen said.

"Titan Saoirse, please show our guests to the guest quarters," Zavala said. Saoirse gave a mock salute in reply and led them all out, leaving Selene and Valentina. Valentina looked around nervously. "I…I should go," she said and ran out. Three sets of eyes turned their attention to Selene. "What?" she asked defensively.

Meanwhile, Selene led Allen, Steve, Aurora and the man she didn't know through the Tower. The man stopped and said, "I've had enough. This is all insane."

"What's the matter Doc? Finally found something you don't understand?" Steve asked.

"I've kept quiet until now, but I cannot do so any longer," he said.

"I'm not going to lie, I forgot all about you," Allen said. "You've been so quiet. That's not like you. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? How can you even think to ask that!" he exclaimed.

"Okay simmer down," Saoirse said sternly. "Who are you? Are you with these guys?"

"My name is Doctor Alphonse Chudnoffsky," he said. "But from what I've seen and heard, that likely won't mean anything to you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Saoirse asked defensively. Chudnoffsky waved her off. "I don't expect you to understand. You're worse than they are," he added, pointing to Allen and Steve.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but he just insulted you," Steve said in Saoirse's ear. Saoirse frowned and turned to him. "Do you ever take you helmet off or are you stuck in there forever."

"Wanna find out?" Steve asked suggestively. "It's been a while."

"Maybe later," Saoirse said.

"What? Really?" Steve asked in surprise. Saoirse stood toe to toe with Steve with her hands on her hips and stared into his face plate. "Why not? Can you back your shit up or do you just talk big? I've planted a lot of people who thought they were hot shit."

Steve leaned over to Allen. "I like her," he whispered.

Aurora cleared her throat. "In any case, please show us to where we will be staying."

"Sure thing," Saoirse said. Chudnoffsky followed reluctantly behind. What choice did he have? He was a stranger in a strange land. What he'd seen so far didn't impress him. This seemed like a technologically advanced civilization, but he saw no real indication of that technology. He pulled out his datapad and found the battery was dead. Great. Most likely, they had no means for him to charge the battery. He really wanted to talk to Reginald and get his input.

"Here we are," Saoirse said. They were in a residential area with strings of apartment blocks. She went into the office and came back shortly with key cards. "These are your room keys," she said and handed them out. "Your rooms are this way," she added and they followed her down an alleyway. Saoirse stopped in front of a house with four doors. "This place has four individual rooms and a common living area. You don't have to share a bathroom, which is nice I guess."

"Where do you stay?" Allen asked.

"I have a house in that direction," Saoirse pointed. "If you need anything, just give me a call."

"And how will we do that?" Aurora asked.

"I have your comm frequency, so reach me that way," Saoirse said. "My Ghost will keep an eye out and let me know." She gave them a wave and walked off.

Allen, Steve, Aurora and Chudnoffsky stood around and stared at each other uncertainly for a moment before heading to their respective rooms. Inside, the furnishings were quite spartan, but clean. The rooms had electricity and running water to Chudnoffsky's surprise. Fatigue finally caught up with Chudnoffsky and he collapsed on the bed. A door led out to the shared common area where chairs and couches were arranged around a central fire pit. Steve sat down tentatively in a chair that groaned in protest under his weight. "Nope. Not gonna to risk it," he said and stood up. He sighed and turned to the others. "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way."

"We don't even have the right tools," Allen said.

"We'll have to make do," Aurora said. She reached up, unlatched her helmet and took it off. The air was thin and cool, despite being the middle of the day. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

Allen and Steve both took off their helmets. Allen took a deep breath and sighed. "Smell that mountain air," he said. "It's been a long time since I've tasted air that wasn't filtered and recirculated."

"Really? All I smell is your stink," Steve said.

"Shut up. You can't smell that through the armor," Allen replied.

"No, but I can imagine it," Steve said.

"He does have a point," Aurora said. "We'll have to figure out how to get out of our armor."

They discussed it until there was a knock at the door. Allen went to answer and found Saoirse and Valentina. Instead of armor, Saoirse was wearing boots, coveralls and a light jacket. Valentina was wearing robes that looked lighter and reached to mid thigh. "How y'all doing? Can we come in?" Saoirse asked. Allen stood aside and held the door open. They walked inside and met the others in the common area. "Why haven't you changed yet?" Saoirse asked.

"About that," Steve said, rubbing his head.

"Our armor is highly sophisticated and very advanced," Aurora said. "Usually, it takes a team of technicians and specialized tools to get it on and off."

"Sounds like a pain in the ass," Saoirse said. She held out her hand and her Ghost materialized. "Hey there little guy. Can you do something for me?" Her Ghost looked up at Saoirse, then turned to Allen, Steve and Aurora. It let out a little yelp and hid behind Saoirse. "He's just shy," Saoirse said. "Come on now. Get out here."

"Are you sure? Is it safe?" a timid voice asked.

"Of course it is! It can't be any worse than trying to resurrect me during a fire fight," Saoirse said.

"That's different!" her ghost complained. Saoirse turned back to the others, offered a forced smile, and went to a corner with her back to the rest of them. They heard angry whispering and looked to Valentina. "Is that normal?" Aurora asked.

"Sometimes," Valentina admitted. She sat in a chair and fidgeted quietly.

"Sorry about that," Saoirse said, walking back to the group. "This is Musashi. He can be a little timid sometimes."

Allen, Steve and Aurora gathered around. "This is a ghost?" Aurora asked, poking it gently.

Musashi looked around nervously. "Can you not do that please?" he asked.

"Oh. Sorry," Aurora said.

"So what's he going to do?" Steve asked.

"I asked him to look at your armor and see if he had any ideas how to get it off," Saoirse said. She gave them a once over and shook her head. "He might be able to help you make repairs too."

Musashi hovered away from Saoirse and slowly circled around Allen and took scans of his armor. "Wow. I've never seen anything like this," he said.

"Can we get it off?" Saoirse asked.

"I think so, but it won't be easy. I think we'll have to get help from Amanda Holliday," Musashi said. "We'll have to build some special tools. The hard part will be powering down the armor and getting it off without setting off the self-destruct mechanism."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Saoirse said, jumping back. "Are you about to explode? How big are we talking?"

"The armor is powered by a fusion reactor and associated power supply," Musashi said. "I could be wrong, but there appears to be a tamper failsafe that will overload the reactor if the armor is removed in an unauthorized manner."

"So a big boom then," Saoirse said. Musashi moved on and started scanning Aurora's armor. Immediately, a loud static screech filled the air through Aurora's helmet. "Hey! What are you doing? Stop it!" Isis shouted.

"What was that?" Saoirse asked, covering he ears.

"My name is Isis and you are trespassing on UNSC government property!" Isis said.

"Um, hello? Have you even been paying attention to what's been happening?" Allen shouted.

"No! I've been busy trying to rebuild Aurora's armor network! What have you knuckle heads been doing?" Isis shouted.

"Calm down woman," Steve said. "We're trying to figure it out ourselves. But for right now, I want to get out of my armor and take a shower for ten years and sleep for another hundred years."

"That sounds like a good plan," Allen sighed.

Isis grumbled to herself. "Fine. I think I have an idea how to make that happen." A small port opened on Aurora's helmet and Musashi floated over and shot a beam of light into the port. After a moment, Musashi went back to Aurora. "Isis has a good plan to make this happen," he said. "It's not too far off from what I suggested."

"I can interface with the armor and prevent the tamper signal from triggering," Isis said. "Unfortunately, we don't have the tools to actually remove the armor."

"So we'll have to make some," Musashi said.

Allen, Steve and Aurora looked at each other. "I guess a shower will have to wait," Steve said.

* * *

 **SAOIRSE:** And then we sat around and talked for a while. I took them to dinner, showed them around a bit. It was a good date.

 **INTERVIEWER:** A date? You went on a date?

 **SAOIRSE:** Well what else would you call it? Valentina was there, so it was more like a group date. Oh! I just thought of something. What's that instrument with the strings and you strum it? ( _mimics playing a guitar_ )

 **INTERVIEWER:** A guitar?

 **SAOIRSE:** _(slams hands on the table)_ Yes! A guitar! That's it. You wanna see something cool? Give Valentina a guitar and see what happens.


	5. Session 4: Valentina

**VALENTINA:** What's this?

 **INTERVIEWER:** An electric guitar. Saoirse told us you were musically inclined. Apparently some of the higher ups were curious and this was brought in.

 **VALENTINA:** Do you always cater to the whims of your subjects in question?

 **INTERVIEWER:** No. This was a special case.

 **VALENTINA:** Why? What makes me so special?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Evidently, someone wants to test your ability. To see how similar your world is to ours.

 **VALENTINA:** By testing my ability to play a musical instrument? What exactly are you trying to prove here? No, there's something else going on here. Saoirse told you to do this?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes. It was her idea.

 **VALENTINA:** I'm going to have to talk to her about this. Is it okay for me to have this?

 **INTERVIEWER:** There's a small amplifier you can plug into.

( _Valentina picks up the guitar and plugs it in. She strums a note and turns down the volume. Valentina strums a few notes and winces)_

 **VALENTINA:** Who tuned this guitar? It sounds terrible.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I don't know.

 _(Valentina tunes the guitar until she is satisfied. She adjusts the settings until the sound is to her liking.)_

 **VALENTINA:** What do you want me to play?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Just start with something you are comfortable with.

 _(Valentina plays scales and chords, getting a feel for the guitar)_

 **VALENTINA:** I imagine our histories are quite similar, just you have more history. What year is it here?

 **INTERVIEWER:** 2558.

 **VALENTINA:** Wow. Maybe not so different then.

 **INTERVIEWER:** How so?

 **VALENTINA:** Well, the Traveler was discovered sometime during the early 21st century. Humans made contact on Mars around the year 2020, starting the Golden Age of Humanity. This lasted for a few hundred years, followed by the Collapse. The time between the Collapse and when we left is roughly another century or two. We don't exactly know how much time had passed, so I would argue we are about the same year as you.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Interesting.

 **VALENTINA:** Are you familiar with the Multiverse Theory?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Not particularly.

 **VALENTINA:** There are many different thoughts on the Multiverse Theory, but basically it states that multiple universes with varying degrees of difference exist at the same time and are normally kept separate by quantum mechanics. Usually these separate universes are unobservable from each other. But it would be possible to travel from universe to universe by disrupting the barrier. A popular theory is that black holes could possibly connect the different universes and that it would be possible to view them through the black hole, like a peephole in a door. So I guess this could be a way see or verify a shared history, by comparing types of music.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What kind of music to you like?

 **VALENTINA:** I would say I'm more of a music enthusiast. I can appreciate all forms of music. But if I had to pick I'd say opera, specifically Richard Wagner's _Der Ring de Nibelungen._

 **INTERVIEWER:** Why that specific opera?

 **VALENTINA:** Because it was different. When he wrote it, Wagner had become dissatisfied with the formula and the way opera was written and performed. He wrote his opera the way he wanted, and changed the way opera was experienced. Do you know why music appeals to so many people?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Not really.

 **VALENTINA:** The human mind recognizes patterns and tries to fit everything into a certain mold that it has developed. The mind craves order and harmony. This is why certain sounds appeal more than others. For example, musical chords. Chords generally consist of the root, which is the first note of a particular scale, the third note and the fifth note. When played together, the notes are in harmony and create a pleasing sound.

 _(Valentina plays a C major chord on the guitar)_

Now there are variants of this, but most chords follow this basic pattern. In contrast to major chords, minor chords have a different tone and feel, just by changing one note, usually the third.

 _(Valentina plays a C minor chord)_

Can you tell the difference? The minor chord has a darker and foreboding feel to it. It makes you feel uncertain, like something is about to happen. What music does is take all the different instruments playing different notes, and puts them together in certain patterns designed to invoke a certain emotion or feeling in the listener.

 **INTERVIEWER:** That's very interesting.

 **VALENTINA:** Music appeals to me on a certain level. Perhaps because I am a Warlock and we seem to be wired a bit differently upstairs than other people. It's easier to express myself through music.

 **INTERVIEWER:** You seem to be doing a pretty good job communicating right now.

 **VALENTNA:** Perhaps. Do you still want me to play? Do you have any requests?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Not really. How did you learn the guitar?

 **VALENTINA:** I'm mostly self-taught. Selene suggested it as a way to help me stay focused. I tend to fidget a lot.

 _(Valentina adjusts the tuning and begins to play various chords and melodies)_

Do you have a band by the name of Van Halen here?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes. I think they were popular in the late 20th century.

 **VALENTINA:** Good. I think you'll like this.

 _(Valentina adjusts the tuning and guitar settings and performs Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption")_

 **INTERVIEWER:** Wow. I'm impressed.

 **VALENTINA:** Music is also a good form of self-expression. Selene is a Hunter, and Hunters have a certain confidence and swagger to them. But Selene is older and has seen and experienced quite a bit, so there is a little bit of sadness to her. A blues and rock mix fits her pretty well.

 _(Valentina changes the settings and plays the intro to Stevie Ray Vaughn's cover of "Voodoo Child/Slight Return")_

 **INTERVIEWER:** I see what you mean.

 **VALENTINA:** Saoirse is a Titan. She tends to be very loud and stubborn. She doesn't really have a filter between her brain and her mouth. As a result, she can be rather blunt. Saoirse also has a lot of energy that tends to rub off on people and gets them fired up.

 _(Valentina plays the main guitar riff from "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne")_

 **INTERVIEWER:** I have a hard time believing you're self-taught.

 **VALENTINA:** Why? I suppose you could make the argument I have an affinity for it, but don't be so quick to dismiss practice and hard work.

 **INTERVIEWER:** You've talked about the others. What about yourself?

 **VALENTINA:** I'm not really sure. The others would be more like lead guitars in a band. I don't stand out as much.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Now who's selling herself short.

 **VALENTINA:** I don't really like talking about myself. There's not much to say. I would be happy to just learn in the library or sit in my room and play music. Simple and uncomplicated.

 _(Valentina plays the intro to "Loose Yourself to Dance" by Daft Punk)_

Sometimes I like to imagine that Selene, Saoirse and I started a band. I think that would be fun.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So why don't you?

 **VALENTINA:** They would never go for it. Selene gets antsy if she sits still for too long and Saoirse has a bit of a temper and gets frustrated easily.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But you're a team aren't you? You all seem to work together well.

 **VALENTINA:** We're not a team. Not like your guys anyway. We are three people who come together occasionally. More often than not, we're off doing our own thing.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So how did you all meet?

 **VALENTINA:** I thought you wanted to hear how your guys ended up in our universe?

 **INTERVIEWER:** We have plenty of time to discuss that.

 **VALENTINA:** What makes you so sure? How long do you plan on keeping us here?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Let's get back to the subject.

 **VALENTINA:** Which one? The one where I tell you everything about us, or the one where you keep us here indefinitely?

 **INTERVIEWER:** The one where you tell us what happened to the SPARTANS.

 **VALENTINA:** Not a whole lot really. There wasn't much they could do without their armor.

 _(Valentina strums absentmindedly on the guitar, her fingers seeming moving of their own accord)_

* * *

Saoirse went to Valentina's apartment and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, Saoirse tried the door and found it unlocked. She sighed and let herself in. The living room was piled high with speakers, random bits of junk, and an assortment of mixers, musical instruments and other production equipment. Soundproofing material hung on the wall, reducing the majority of background noise in the room. Saoirse found Valentina in the corner, hunched over a keyboard. The reason she didn't hear anything was likely due to the large headphones she wore. Valentina's ghost was floating nearby, watching.

"Hey Val," Saoirse said and touched Valentina's shoulder. She jumped and let out a small shriek. Valentina's ghost buzzed angrily around Saoirse's head. "Hey! Stop it!" Saoirse said, ducking and dodging.

Valentina calmed down and took her headphones off. "Knock it off Valkyrie. It's just Saoirse," she said.

"I don't care," Valkyrie said. She floated back to Valentina's side and glared at Saoirse. "Besides, what gives you the right to walk in here like you own the place?"

"Well I did knock on the door and there was no answer, and the door was unlocked so…" Saoirse trailed off.

Valentina buried her hands in her face. "I forgot to lock the door," she mumbled.

"Don't worry. It's my job to look out for you," Valkyrie said.

"And you're doing such a marvelous job," Saoirse said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Valkyrie growled and flew at Saoirse's head. Valentina lashed out and grabbed her before she got too far. "I'm sorry. She's a bit overprotective," she said as she struggled with her Ghost.

"It's fine," Saoirse said and put her hand on the Warlock's shoulder. "But you do need to be more aware of your surroundings."

"I know," Valentina said. She looked up and saw Saoirse was wearing her full armor. "Did you get wall duty today?" she asked.

"Yeah," Saoirse huffed. "I'm pretty sure I'm being punished for something, but I don't know what I might have done this time."

Valkyrie calmed down and Valentina let her go. She settled over Valentina's shoulder and glared at Saoirse.

"A-ny-way," Saoirse said, looking from Valkyrie to Valentina, "Selene is off doing Selene things and I'm working today, so can you help our new friends with their problem?" Musashi appeared and interacted with Valkyrie. "Musashi and their little computer friend came up with a plan."

"I know. I was there," Valentina said.

"Oh. Yes. Well, anyway if you're not busy," Saoirse shrugged. Valentina turned back to her desk. "I put this together for you," she said and handed Saoirse a data chip.

"Oh nice! New tunes!" Saoirse excitedly took the chip and inserted it into her helmet. She put it on and adjusted a few settings in her HUD menu. A few moments later, she was bobbing her head and moving. "Yeah! Me likey!"

"The original audio files were in pretty bad shape. I fixed them up and re-mixed them as best I could," Valentina said.

"Well you did a good job. You always do," Saoirse said. She tucked her helmet under her arm and shook out her hair. "You have the frequency to get in touch with them right?" she asked.

"Yes," Valentina said.

"Good! Give 'em a call if you decide to head over," Saoirse said. She gave Valentia a wave and left. The door closed with a loud _CLICK_ and the sound quickly faded away, leaving Valentina alone and surrounded by quiet. At present, the only sounds were from Valkyrie as her points rotated quietly around her eye.

Valentina was unsure of what to do. She looked back to her keyboard and sat down. Almost reluctantly, she changed a few settings on the keyboard to sound like a pipe organ and lightly rested her fingers on the keys. Valentina slowly pressed a key and the note grew to existence and held. She pressed a few more keys, creating a chord. Valentina removed her hands and the notes quickly faded. She turned up the volume on her speakers and forcefully pressed the keys. The sounds of the pipe organ blasted through the speakers and filled the air. Valentina kept playing and humming the words to herself, lost in her own world. When she was finished, the last notes faded away.

"More 'Phantom of the Opera?'" Valkyrie asked. Valentina nodded. "There's just something about a loud, powerful pipe organ that impacts you on a deep level," she said. She sighed and turned off the keyboard. "I suppose we should visit our new friends."

"I don't know if I'd call them friends," Valkyrie muttered. "I mean, look what happened yesterday! They got you killed for no reason!"

"You of all people should know better than that," Valentina chastised her Ghost. "It was my fault for not paying attention during a fight."

"Yeah, but their incompetence also played a large part in that," Valkyrie argued.

"They aren't incompetent. They were injured and barely functioning," Valentina countered.

"Doesn't matter," Valkyrie said. "I've seen Guardians take worse punishment and get right back up again to keep fighting."

"But they aren't Guardians, at least not that we can tell," Valentina said.

"So what if they aren't Guardians? It seems like they are highly trained and perfectly capable combatants from where they come from," Valkyrie said. "If they are the best their world has to offer, I'm not impressed."

"That is a valid point, but I don't think you can judge the capability of an entire species based on limited interaction with a small sample size," Valentina said. "It's no different here. There are exceptional Guardians and others who make you wonder if the Traveler made a mistake."

"Surely you don't mean you," Valkyrie said and gave Valentina a nudge on the cheek. "You're my Guardian, for better or worse."

"Even so," Valentina said, brushing Valkyrie away. She looked around her tiny apartment and felt a little sad inside. A new melody popped up in her head, completely unbidden. She imagined it as a medium temp piano piece that was meant to appear happy, but had an undercurrent of melancholy. If anything, it made her feel more depressed. Valentina sat back down at the keyboard, changed the settings, and let music flow from her mind. She would play a few measures, stop, make slight changes, and keep playing. When she was done, she pressed the record button, played it all from the beginning.

"I think I see what you mean," Valkyrie said and settled on top of Valentina's head. "I just want you to be happy."

"But I'm not sure what that even means," Valentina said and pressed the button to stop recording. "Doing this makes me feel happy, but I don't know if I'm truly happy."

Valkyrie sighed. "I know you're a Warlock and all this big brain 'What is the meaning of life' stuff is what you do, but I think it's the reason so many Warlocks have gone crazy over the years. Just look at Osiris and Toland."

Valentina said nothing. She slapped her cheeks and blew out a breath. "Okay! Let's go out and pretend to be productive Guardians," she said and rose to her feet.

"Shall I tell them you're on your way?" Valkyrie asked and Valentina nodded.

Doctor Chudnoffsky awoke to the sound of something crashing to the ground. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Surprisingly, he felt rested. He looked to the nightstand where he left his datapad to charge. It took a bit of tinkering, but he was able to rig up a power converter. He didn't know what type of electricity this place used or ran on and he wasn't taking any chances. He thumbed it on and Reginald appeared. He looked around and said, "Good morning Doctor."

"Yes, I suppose," Chudnoffsky grumped.

Lines of code flashed briefly across Reginald's form. "I must say I am quite confused. From the data I'm receiving, this is Earth, but not our Earth? What does this mean?"

"It means those morons have added to my misery," Chudnoffsky said. He then recounted what happened after they were sucked into the portal. "I was unconscious for most of it, but that is what I heard happened," he said.

"I see. I find that quite the tale," Reginald said.

"Well believe it because this is our new reality," Chudnoffsky said.

"How do you propose we get back?" Reginald asked.

"I'm sure the answer those useless paperweights would come up with would be 'Find a similar portal and blow it up with a nuke.'" Chudnoffsky replied.

"From the information I've been able to gather, it doesn't appear this 'Last City' has anything like that on hand," Reginald said. "As primitive as this place is, they do have advanced technology not to different from our own."

"Explain," Chudnoffsky said.

"Well for starters, they have achieved faster-than-light travel and have outfitted this technology in ships as small as single-seat transports," Reginald said.

"Is that so?" Chudnoffsky said.

"Indeed. They also have an advanced energy grid and energy based projectile weapons," Reginald added. "Of course, their civilization is lightyears behind anything we had."

Chudnoffsky frowned and paced back and forth. "Perhaps. I suppose we should start thinking of a way to get back then. If that's even possible."

Another crash pulled Chudnoffsky from his thoughts and he angrily opened the door to the shared common area. He found Steve sitting in a pile of broken furniture and Allen laughing. "I told you!" he said.

"Shut up and help me up," Steve growled. Aurora sighed and helped Steve to his feet.

"What's going on out here?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Hey! Look who's awake!" Steve said. "Have a good nap?"

"It was fine up until you started making all that noise," Chudnoffsky said. "What are you doing?"

"Well, it seems Steve forgot that the furniture wasn't built to hold our armored weight," Allen said. "He said down and pancaked that poor chair!" This set him off into another round of giggles.

"What was that earlier crash then?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Oh, I think I tripped over a pot or something," Allen said.

Isis spoke up through Aurora's helmet speakers. "Not to interrupt or anything, but we have a guest." Steve went to open the door and found Valentina looking a bit uneasy. "Hey it's you!" he said. He opened the door wider and invited her in. "We don't bite. I promise."

"But I can't guarantee they're up to date on their shots," Isis added.

Allen and Steve started to banter back and forth with Isis getting her shots in. Valentina cocked her head in confusion. This is what she thought they would be like. "And how did you assume them to be?" Valkyrie asked, appearing next to her head.

"I don't know," Valentina replied. "Sad or confused maybe? They've just been through a pretty unique experience."

"Maybe they're brain damaged or something," Valkyrie suggested. Valentina rolled her eyes. She cleared her throat and spoke up. "The others are busy at the moment, so it's just me. Do you still need help?"

"What kind of help?" Steve asked. "Depending on what it is, I think we're way beyond help."

"Of course you are. You've no brains left after your medical experiments," Chudnoffsky said.

"Ooh! And the doctor from the top rope!" Allen said and mimed an elbow drop.

"Anyway, the answer is yes. We would appreciate your help," Isis said.

"Well, I think the first step is to go and talk to Amanda Holliday," Valentina said. She motioned for them to follow and she led them through the Tower back to the hangar. During the walk, she heard Steve and Allen whispering to each other. Finally Aurora asked, "These two want to know why your skin is blue and glowing."

"Hey! That's not polite," Steve said.

"Yeah. At least have more tact than that," Allen added.

"Gee I'm sorry. It can't be any worse than what you were saying behind her back," Aurora shot back.

"Um, I'm still right here," Valentina said.

They ignored her and continued to argue. Valentina sighed. This was going to be a long day.

"HEY! Cut it out!" Valkyrie shouted and knocked them all in the head. "You're being very rude to Valentina. Apologize!"

Allen rubbed his head. "I'm sorry," he said. Steve nodded in agreement.

"I don't mind if you have questions. Please just ask. I won't get mad I promise," Valentina said.

"Okay, so why IS your skin blue and glowy?" Steve asked.

Valentina thought for a moment. "To put it simply, I and others similar to myself are known as Awoken. When the Traveler came, it brought many technological advancements to Humanity. When the Collapse happened, many tried to get away and were affected by the intermixing of the Light and Darkness. We all used to be Human, but now we're different."

"So, like Human 2.0?" Steve asked.

"At this point, more like Human Mk2 Mod 1," Allen suggested. Valentina dismissed them both with a wave. "It doesn't matter what you call us. We are all similar to Humans, but different."

"I can sympathize with that," Aurora said and Allen and Steve nodded in agreement.

"What happened here? Why is it like this?" Allen asked.

"That would take some time to try and explain," Valentina answered. "For right now, I think we should concentrate on getting you out of your armor without blowing us all up." There was idle chitchat the rest of the way to the hangar.

"Hey there strangers!" Amanda Holliday called out when she saw them. "Selene dropped by earlier. Left a bunch of parts sayin' you might be needin' em."

"Yep. This the plan for what we have," Valkyrie said and showed Amanda the blueprints. "We just need help with the fabrication and assembly."

"Hmm. This all seems pretty doable," Amanda stroked her chin as she looked at the plans. "I tell you what. It's pretty slow around here so I'll give you a hand personally!"

"You don't have too," Valentina said.

"You're right. I don't have to, I WANT to. There's a difference," Amanda argued. "So let's get started! I put the parts Selene left right over there," she pointed and led them to an unused corner of the hangar. While they were working, Amanda asked, "Is all this really necessary to break you out of your tin cans?"

"Unfortunately," Isis said. "The armor is very heavy and highly advanced. There are allowances for emergency removal, but it's better to be done properly with a team of technicians."

"Well you've come to the right place," Amanda said. "Few people are more trained up than me!"

"Well don't you think highly of yourself," Chudnoffsky sniffed. Amanda's eyes narrowed. "Okay. Sure. I don't have a fancy piece of paper sayin' I went to school somewhere and learned all kinds of fancy stuff. But what I do have is plenty of hands-on practical experience building ships and machinery, and the know-how to keep it all running with nothing but spare parts and junk scavenged from ruins. Wanna compare brain pans? Okay, install that faster-than-light drive in that ship right there and make sure you do it right, or it will blow up and possibly have repercussions on the time-space continuum. Go ahead. I'll wait," she said and turned back to what she was toing.

Allen leaned into Steve and whispered, "I think the Doc just got owned,"

"Oh yeah. And it was _glorious_ ," Steve replied.

Valentina noticed Chudonffsky huffing with indignation. He must be some kind of famous scientist where they are from she thought. She knew quite a few people, mostly Warlocks, who were the same way.

A few hours later, Amanda sat back and wiped the grime and sweat off her face. "Whew! That's quite the project," she said. Using the plans provided by Isis, they had constructed a harness assembly to remove and support the weight of the Mjolnir armor. Valkyrie had taken existing tools and fused them with Spinmetal to create the specific tools needed, while Allen, Steve and Aurora connected everything together. "Moment of truth everyone," Amanda said and pressed the power button. At first, nothing happened. Then the terminal blinked to life and the harness assembly clanked to life.

"Everything looks normal," Amanda said, looking at the indications. "Is everything good on your end?"

Aurora removed Isis' data chip from her helmet and inserted it into the terminal. A screen flashed to life with Isis' face. "Just doing some quick software scans. And we're good. Who's the first test subject?"

"I guess I'll do it," Allen said and stepped into the machine. Steve and Aurora assisted with disassembly. The arm and leg armor came off first. "Okay, let me put in this code here so nothing explodes," Isis said. Status lights blinked on and off on Allen's chest armor and an audible power down sound was heard. "Okay. Looks like it worked. Go ahead and pull it off now," she said.

Steve gave her a wary glance. "Are you sure?"

"About as sure as I'm going to be," she replied. Steve made a show of holding his breath and gingerly separated Allen's chest and back armor. He winced and when nothing bad happened, he gave a deep sigh.

"You're so dramatic," Aurora said, rolling her eyes. Allen stepped out, now wearing just his black body stocking and boots. He worked his arms around and stretched. "Ah, so good," he sighed.

Steve and Aurora had their turn in the machine and soon their armor was stacked nearby. "Well that was a resounding success," Amanda said.

"Okay, we go the armor off, but what do we do with it now?" Allen asked. "We can't really just leave it around.

"I can section this area off and prevent people from going near it," Amanda suggested.

"I don't really like the idea of our armor sitting around unguarded," Steve said. "It's got a lot of fancy stuff that's technically Top Secret."

"I don't think that's something we need to worry about right now," Aurora said. "It's not like they can reproduce it."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Amanda said thoughtfully. "We've proven to be pretty capable when need be."

"I can have Valkyrie store it and transmat it to your rooms," Valentina suggested.

"But if something happens, we would need to drag it all back here and put it back on which would take a lot of time," Allen said.

"We'll figure that part out later," Steve said. "Let's go ahead and do that. We need to make repairs and do maintenance anyway."

"And could you make sure no one messes with this?" Allen asked, pointing to the machine.

"No problem," Amanda said. Valkyrie scanned all the armor and it disappeared. Valentina thanked Amanda for her help and took them back to their apartment. With a flash of light, Valkyrie deposited the armor in the center of the common area. "You weren't kidding. That stuff is heavy," she said.

"I'm sure there's an explanation how that just happened, but there's a shower with my name on it," Allen said. Steve agreed and the three SPARTANS went back to their respective rooms, leaving Valentina and Chudnoffsky alone. "I assume you have questions," she said, turning to the doctor.


	6. Session 5: Valentina

**INTERVIEWER:** So what did you discuss?

 **VALENTINA:** We talked about a lot of things, mostly the history of the Traveler and what had happened. He was most interested in the different aliens we had for enemies and the Awoken. I assume that is his field of study?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Yes. He's a leading expert on Xenobiology. He's written several books about the different alien species that make up the Covenant Empire.

 **VALENTINA:** Oh. Those were your aliens?

 **INERVIEWER:** Yes.

 **VALENTINA:** What happened? I thought you all were fighting this Covenant. Those two, Steve and Allen? They made it sound like Humanity was on its last gasp and on the verge of extinction.

 **INTERVIEWER:** That part is true, but it turns out there were factions within the Covenant that had different views than the accepted dogma. As a result, there was a civil war within the Covenant ranks and that fracturing led to its downfall and eventual defeat.

 **VALENTINA:** Hmm. Interesting. So you won the war? What has the result been? Now that the common enemy has been defeated, has Humanity gone back to infighting and petty bickering?

 **INTERVIEWER:** I'm not really allowed to say, but it seems like things are heading that direction.

 **VALENTINA:** And the Doctor? What was his role in all this?

 **INTERVIEWER:** His actual involvement is Top Secret. I'm not allowed to discuss it.

 **VALENTINA:** Well, it seems to me the best way to kill something you don't know is figure out how it works and why. I mean, why else would a scientist who specializes in aliens be employed by your government?

 **INTERVIEWER:** So you and Doctor Chudnoffsky were talking?

 **VALENTINA:** Don't think I don't see what you're doing. But yes, we had a long and insightful conversation. I took him to the library since he had questions that I didn't have the answers to. Apparently that is my role in all this.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What do you mean?

 **VALENTINA:** I mean that it seems the only thing I'm good for is playing music and exposition.

* * *

Chudnoffsky stared down at the small, blue-skinned humanoid. "Yes. As a matter of fact I do have questions. If you don't mind, I'd like to start with you."

Valentina frowned. "What about me?" she asked.

"Obviously you are or used to be human," Chudnoffsky said. "So was it this interaction with your Traveler that forced your evolution?"

Valentina sat down in a chair. "I suppose you could say that," she said. "Remember, when we first discovered the Traveler, it was terraforming Mars."

"How was it doing this?" Chudnoffsky asked, also taking a seat. Valentina shrugged. "I don't know the exact details of how the science of it worked, but that's what we know. The Traveler advanced our understanding by leaps and bounds. Most illnesses were cured and the average lifespan more than tripled. The nations of the Earth banded together and pooled resources to build ships to explore the stars. With the advent of faster than light travel, this became easier. We explored our Solar Systems and established colonies on the Moon, Venus, Mars, and some of the bigger moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury was terraformed into a garden planet. Our technology also greatly improved. Humans built a series of interconnected supercomputers called Warminds that managed strategic defense."

"That's all fine and good, but what does that have to do with how you Awoken came to be?" Chudnoffsky aksed.

"It's not a simple tale to be told," Valentina said. "I'm sure it could be told simply, but it would be a disservice to those that died."

"So what happened then?" Chudnoffsky asked. He was starting to become irate. Valentina noticed and she tried to placate him. "Do you agree that everything operates in a balance?"

Chudnoffsky nodded. "For the most part, yes."

"Okay. So on one hand you have this seemingly benevolent entity that travels the universe, benefitting the races it comes in contact with," Valentina said, showing a brass colored coin with a green stone in the center the size of her palm. She turned it over. "On the other, you have its direct opposite. An entity that rules through chaos and destruction and wants everything to return to nothingness. This entity doesn't have a name, but we call it the Darkness."

"And does this 'Darkness' have a physical form, similar to your Traveler?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Yes and no," Valentina said. "As far as we know, what we call the Traveler is the physical embodiment of what we call the Light. It is hypothesized that Light exists in all living things, causing everything to be interconnected in this way. Through some means that we don't quite understand, the beings known as Guardians possess substantial Light and are able to use it as a weapon."

"Hold up. You're getting off track again," Chudnoffsky said. "We were talking about how this Light and Darkness are two sides of the same coin."

"Oh. Yes. Sorry," Valentina apologized. "But to answer your question, no the Darkness does not have a physical embodiment. We don't actually know what the Darkness is, other than a force that opposes the Traveler and the Light. Some believe that our enemies, the Hive, the Vex and the Fallen are agents of the Darkness to do its bidding here on the physical plane."

"Wait a minute," Chudnoffsky said with a frown. "You don't actually know what this Darkness is? How do you combat against it? How do you survive against an enemy you have no knowledge of?"

"How did ancient Humans survive against viruses and bacteria?" Valentina offered.

"They didn't. Not really anyway. Their primitive brains couldn't comprehend something they couldn't see," Chudnoffsky replied. "It wasn't until advances in science and medicine were made that we discovered viruses and bacteria and could combat against them."

Valentina spread her hands. "It's much the same thing," she said. "We see the cause of the Darkness but we don't know why. Until we do, we fight the enemies we can see." She sat back in her chair. "Why don't we go to the Library and talk there? We can talk more in detail and I can show you anything I can't answer to your satisfaction."

"That sounds reasonable," Chudnoffsky agreed and Valentina led him through the Tower to one of the lower levels. "This is the Library," she said and pushed open the door. Inside books, papers, scrolls, charts, and other forms of data storage were stacked floor to ceiling on high bookshelves. The area used to be an empty warehouse and became a storage place for the knowledge recovered from the Golden Age and Collapse. In the center of the room, a young Human female stood behind a large desk and was sorting through books on a cart.

"Hello Shiera," Valentia called out. The young woman looked up, startled at the sudden noise and quickly looked around. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh. It's you. Hello Valentina," Shiera said. Her narrow face, almond shaped eyes and long black hair suggested her ancestors came from the Asian continent. She wore robes similar to Valentina. "Are you here to review records on music composition and theory again?" she asked.

Valentina shook her head. "Not this time. And there wasn't that much to begin with," she said. "I think my personal collection far outweighs what is stored here."

"Well, if I were you, I'd think about donating a copy of your research," Shiera said.

"Perhaps," Valentina offered. "We'll be in a dusty corner attempting to figure out the secrets of the universe."

"Let me know if you find them. Perhaps I'll get out of Library duty for once," Shiera said and saw them off with a wave.

"Music composition and theory?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Everyone has their own interests," Valentina said. "Music happens to be mine."

"So you compose and play your own music?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"I thought you wanted to know about this business of the Traveler, Light, Darkness and all that?" Valentina asked.

"I do, but I have other questions as well," Chudnoffsky said. As they walked through the Library, Valentina pulled books and data storage units off the shelves. They found a spare table and sat down. "I want to make sure you understand a few things," Valentin said.

"Such as?" Chudnoffsky said.

"Firstly, a brief timeline of events," Valentina said. "Humanity discovered the Traveler mid-21st Century."

"You've said that," Chudnoffsky said.

"Good. You understand that then," Valentina replied. "Think of that as a kind of Year Zero. Now, from that point up to the Collapse, is referred to as the Golden Age. Advances in science, technology, exploration and that sort of thing. This lasted for a few centuries."

"Okay," Chudnoffsky said.

"After the Golden Age was the Collapse," Valentina said. "It's exactly what it sounds like. That's when we became aware of the Darkness and Humanity was thrown back to the Dark Ages."

"But how did that happen?" Chudnoffsky asked. "Advanced civilizations don't just collapse overnight. There must have been some indication or period of decline."

"Like I said, we don't know what the Darkness _is_. One theory is that it is a paracausal entity that opposes the Traveler and the Light," Valentina said. "However it was caused, the Collapse happened and Humanity almost didn't survive."

"Surely you must have known _something_ was coming," Chudnoffsky argued. Valentina looked through the stack of books she gathered and pulled one out. "Very little information from the Golden Age survived the Collapse," she said. "Our knowledge of the event is very thin and spotty at best, but it is known that the Warminds detected a Transient Near Extrasolar Event through measuring interactions of local gravity fields."

"Meaning what?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"An entity that existed separate from our understanding of physics had arrived at the edge of our Solar System and displayed malicious intent," Valentina said. "The Warminds determined this could lead to an extinction-level event and took appropriate actions. But it didn't matter. The Darkness came. In the last days of the Collapse, people crowded onto colony ships in attempt to escape. Few survived. Earth and her colonies became a wasteland. Billions of people died."

"So how did you all survive?" Chudnoffsky asked.

Valentina flipped several pages in her current book. "It is said the Traveler used the last of its power against the Darkness. Whether it was a pulse of pure Light or what, no one knows, but the Darkness kept at bay and the Traveler has been dormant ever since."

"And how long ago was this Collapse?" Chudnoffsky asked. Valentina shrugged. "A few centuries perhaps. People were living longer now, but even now there are very few who remember or were there during the Collapse."

"So back to my original first question, where do you Awoken come from?" Chudnoffsky asked. Valentina reached for a different book. "Like I said earlier, many people tried to escape the coming calamity by boarding colony ships to the stars. Many were caught in the Asteroid Field between Jupiter and Mars. When the Traveler used its Light against the Darkness, the survivors were caught in the middle, touched by both Light and Darkness. Physically, we resemble Humans, but we're different on a genetic level."

"What advantages does this afford?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"I don't know that it's an advantage, but the most obvious difference is our skin is shades of blue or grey," Valentina said. "Children born to Awoken parents will be Awoken themselves. I am not too sure about Human-Awoken pairings though."

"Did all the Awoken come back to Earth then?" Chudnoffsky asked. Valentina shook her head. "Some did, most did not and built a society out of the remains of the wrecked colony ships in the Asteroid Belt. This is known as The Reef."

"Why that?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Because they were shipwrecked and washed up on a shoreline of rocks, hence a reef," Valentina said.

"Can we go there? I'd like to see this Reef for myself," Chudnoffsky said. Valentina shook her head. "I don't think that would be a good idea," she said.

"Why not? Is it because I am an outsider?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"To the Reef-born Awoken, we are all outsiders," Valentina said. "Only recently have relations between the Reef and City become somewhat cordial."

"Hmm, I see," Chudnoffsky frowned. "Do you have a hospital or any kind of medical services here?"

"There is an emergency clinic here in the Tower," Valentina said. "It's mostly for the civilians who work in the Tower. Guardians generally don't need medical treatment."

"Why is that?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"I'm not really sure, but I think it has something to do with our Light," Valentina said. "If we suffer a fatal injury, we can be revived by our Ghosts."

Chudnoffsky sat back in shock. "Really? You can come back from the dead?"

"Um, yes?" Valentina replied. She was a bit unsettled by the doctor's reaction. "It is possible for Guardians to die permanently and it happens more often than I like to think about."

"And what might those conditions be?" Chudnoffsky asked and Valentina shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it," she said.

Chudnoffsky frowned. "Well in any case, I'd like to get a sample of your blood. With your permission of course."

"Why? What would that prove?" Valentina asked.

"I can use that to study the differences between you Awoken and us normal Humans," he said. Chudnoffsky sat up in his chair and was the most excited Valentia had seen. "But there are already records of that sort of thing," Valentina said.

"Perhaps, but I would like to look at a sample for my own benefit," Chudnoffsky said, rising to his feet. "What do you say?"

"I imagine if I say no, you'll be disappointed and simply guilt me into doing it," Valentina mumbled.

"Well, I don't know if I'd go that far," Chudnoffsky admitted. Just then, Valkyrie appeared and buzzed around Chudnoffsky's head. "You listen here mister. I won't allow you to bother Valentina."

"Whoa! What is this tiny contraption?" Chudnoffsky asked as he waved his hands through the air, attempting to swat at Valkyrie.

"That's Valkyrie. She's my Ghost," Valentina said.

"'She?' It has a gender?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Of course! I'm certainly not a 'He,'" Valkyrie said. "Listen to the sound of my voice! Do I sound like a dude to you?"

"I suppose not," Chudnoffsky said. "What are you anyway?"

"I'm a Ghost. Duh," Valkyrie said. "What do I look like?"

"An annoying pest," Chudnoffsky grumbled. Valkyrie made a shrieking sound and dove at Chudnoffsky's head. He struggled to hold her off. "Don't just stand there! Do something!" Chudnoffsky shouted to Valentina.

Valentina sat there quite amused by the scene taking place. For once, she actually appreciated Valkyrie standing up for her. Before Selene and Saoirse, she was the only one that would. Valentina smiled to herself and felt a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest. Maybe they weren't a close-knit fireteam like other Guardians, but she thought of Selene and Saoirse as her friends and hoped they felt the same about her. Having people to trust was a good thing, she decided. Now that she thought about it, Valentina would put forth the idea of starting a three person band with Selene and Saoirse. What's the worst that could happen, they say no? She would be a little sad, but at least the idea was out there and that was a good thing right?

A crashing sound brought Valentina back to the present. Chudnoffsky had fallen out of his chair and knocked a shelf over, spilling its contents on the floor. Loose papers floated in the air and Valkyrie's parts twisted sharply, indicating she was still angry. "Serves you right," she said.

"Look what you've done!" Chudnoffsky sputtered, rising to his feet. "There was no need for that!"

"You insulted my Guardian and you insulted me! I will not take such things lightly!" Valkyrie shot back. Valentina reached out and held her irate Ghost in her hands. "Thank you Valkyrie, but Doctor Chudnoffsky is correct. Please don't make a scene in the Library." Valkyrie made a _hmph_ sound and buried herself in Valentina's tunic. "I can show you to the emergency clinic. There, they can show you the answers to your questions regarding Awoken physiology," Valentina said.

Chudnoffsky brushed himself off. "Good. It's about time I had a new research project."

As they walked, Valentina asked, "Why is this so important to you?"

"When we make it back to our universe, it will be one of the most important discoveries of our time," Chudnoffsky said.

"I think that you all made it here is pretty significant," Valentina said.

"Yes that is true I suppose," Chudnoffsky said. "But this will be proof of what we found there. A new evolution of the Human species, unseen anywhere else."

"Surely some will think it's a hoax," Valentina said. "They'll call you crazy and have you discredited."

"Perhaps. But if I could convince one of these Awoken to make the trip back with me, it will prove my research and show proof of life beyond our known universe," Chudnoffsky said.

Valentina frowned. "I don't think you'd be able to convince anyone to go back with you just to be a lab rat and paraded around like a piece of meat."

"Don't make it sound so dour," Chudnoffsky said. "They would be well compensated for their time and sacrifice to the advancement of science." He then turned to her and said, "Perhaps you might volunteer?"

Valentina stepped back in shock. "Me? Why do you think I would be a suitable candidate?"

"You seem like a reasonably intelligent person," Chudnoffsky said. "I'm sure you understand the importance of increasing human knowledge. Plus you wouldn't have to live here in this place." He waved his arm around, indicating the Tower and the City. "Where I come from is similar to what you consider your Golden Age. It seems to me that despite your traveling to other planets, you never made it out of the Solar System. We have colonized thousands of planets in numerous solar systems. I'm sure you could find a planet you like and settle there."

Valentina briefly considered Chudnoffsky's offer. "While I am flattered you would consider me for this project, I think I will decline for now," she said. "I don't do well in front of crowds and the thought of being poked and prodded as a living test subject certainly doesn't appeal to me."

"Why would you stay here then?" Chudnoffsky asked. "What could possibly make you want to stay in this empty shell that your civilization has become? It looks like your City and your walls are on the brink of collapse any day now."

"That is true," Valentina admitted. "In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in activity by our enemies. First was the Vex, their Black Garden and Vault of Glass. Then the Hive tried to awaken one of their ancient Gods. After that was a rebellion by the Fallen against the Reef. Apparently, the first Hive god had a father who didn't appreciate that we killed his son, so he showed up and became a problem for a while. And then, a clan of Fallen got a hold of a Golden Age technology and tried to turn themselves and everything into machines." She stared up at Chudnoffsky. "You're right. Why would anyone want to live here in a constant struggle for survival?"

"Exactly!" Chudnoffsky said.

"Because running from your problems is no way to deal with them," Valentina said. "Life is a constant struggle for survival. You might delude yourself in thinking that you have no problems and everything is perfect, based on your situation and how you live. Not true in the slightest. Everything is in conflict with something else, it just doesn't always result in open hostility." Valentina stepped to the railing and looked out over the City. It was early evening and the sun reflected off the Traveler, while the City below was covered by its shadow. Clouds covered the surrounding mountain peaks and a soft breeze whispered gently through the Tower. All in all, it was a nice day to be outside. "This is my home and you don't abandon your home when enemies gather and try to kick in your door and take your stuff. You fight back. You give them a reason to fear and respect you."

"Or you could find a more advantageous location to live," Chudnoffsky said.

"Where is better than here?" Valentina said. "This is the Last City of Humanity. They all gathered here in the shadow of the Traveler because the Traveler is the only thing that protected us against the Darkness. We built the walls to protect these remnants of Humanity. There is nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you would get so worked up over this," Chudnoffsky said. "But I still believe that coming with us would be the best option."

"That's just your bias talking," Valentina said. "You might not admit it, but you are making the same argument that I am. You are trying to convince me that _your_ home is better and you're trying to figure out a way to go back to _your_ home. Why not take your own advice and settle here in 'a more advantageous location' so to speak."

"I highly doubt anyone from our universe would want to come here," Chundoffsky huffed. Valentina ignored his pretentiousness and said, "Do you speak for all of your people? Can you truly say what is best for everyone? You see our city and you see our situation and you look down on us because you believe your home to be superior to ours. That's incredibly close-minded for someone who makes a living studying and dissecting non-Human species."

"Then I see we are at an impasse," Chudnoffsky sighed. "I see there is no convincing you anyway. I would still like to visit your medical center and study samples."

"Of course," Valentina said and showed him the rest of the way. Valentina made sure he knew how to get back to his apartment and left the medical staff at his mercy. She said a quick prayer for forgiveness from the clinic staff and went home.

"Do you really believe all that stuff you said?" Valkyrie asked.

"For the most part I do," Valentina said. "I think I was more upset that he tried to look down on all of us here. I wanted to stick up for my home."

"In any case I don't think he's wrong," Valkyrie said. "We could leave and never be seen again."

"Really? You too?" Valentina asked. "It doesn't matter where we go. The Darkness will find us and kill us. The only thing it cares about is snuffing out our Light. The best way to survive is stick together and fight back."

"So you really buy into all that Future War Cult stuff?" Valkyrie asked.

"I don't believe all of it, but they do have a point," Valentina said. "War is the only constant. War of Man against Nature. War of Man against Man. War of Man against Himself. Life is a constant struggle and struggle is conflict."

"That's funny. I never took you for a nutjob,' Valkyrie said.

"Oh stop it," Valentina sighed and pushed Valkyrie away. "I will say it was interesting talking to that man."

"Oh yeah. A real charmer that one," Valkyrie said. "I bet he's one of those types who puts everything into his work, never stopping or slowing down."

"Despite what he says, the grass isn't always greener on the other side," Valentina said. "It may be different than ours, but they certainly have major problems in their universe. Why else would they need armored soldiers of that caliber?"

"Well none of that matters if they can't go back home," Valkyrie said. "Any ideas?"

Valentina sighed. "I don't want to think about that right now. I'm tired."

"Yeah. Being around that guy really tried my patience," Valkyrie said. "I still don't appreciate him saying those things about us." She buzzed around before settling down on top of Valentina's head. As she walked, Valentina started thinking. "I wonder how the others are doing?"

"Saoirse is probably bored out of her mind, and who knows what Selene is doing," Valkyrie said.

"Just what do you suppose Selene does all the time?" Valentina asked. "Do you know why she hates the Tower so much?"

"How would I know? I'm not her Ghost," Valkyrie responded. "But now that you mention it, I am rather curious where Selene goes." Valentina let the matter be and finally arrived at her apartment. She ate some dinner and played around with her instruments before finally falling asleep with strange new melodies drifting around her mind.


	7. Session 6: Saoirse

**INTERVIEWER:** You said you were assigned to wall duty?

 **SAOIRSE:** Yep.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What does that entail?

 **SAOIRSE:** Well, the first thing you have to understand is in the early days, the City consisted of ramshackle buildings and camps that people had put together under the shadow of the Traveler. Soon, it grew to a decent size but it was relatively unprotected. So the Titans built the first walls for protection. Then the Fallen, a race of aliens chasing the Traveler, showed up and attacked the city. The Guardians, mostly Titans, banded together to hold the city defenses. There were six approaches made by the Fallen and none of them got through the walls. It's a pretty big deal and is highly regarded in city lore.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Okay, but that doesn't answer the question.

 **SAOIRSE:** So what is wall duty? It's boring mostly.

 **INTERVIEWER: …**

 **SAOIRSE:** Oh. You want to know what actually goes on?

 **INTERVIEWER:** If it's not too much trouble.

 **SAOIRSE:** Look at you! Gettin' sassy and stuff. I didn't think you had it in you.

 **INTERVIEWER:** _(sighs)_ Can we just get on with it?

 **SAOIRSE:** Fine, fine, you win. But at some point, I want to see the others. How long have we been here anyway?

 **INTERVIEWER:** I don't know.

 **SAOIRSE:** Well what do you know?

 **INTERVIEWER:** I do know that you will probably be here for a while.

 **SAOIRSE:** Well fine then. Wall duty is exactly what it sounds like. Titans built the wall and Titans maintain the wall. Once upon a time, each of the Titan orders was responsible for a section of the wall, but lately there hasn't been enough manpower for that sort of thing. Nowadays, the focus is more corrective rather than preventative. For instance, one of the abandoned towers on the wall is used for Crucible matches. In that case, our job is to go in and repair damage and make sure that the whole thing doesn't fall apart. Guardians can be pretty destructive if we put our minds to it.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Crucible?

 **SAOIRSE:** Yeah. Crucible. Guardians hone their skills against other Guardians. It's a great way to blow off some stress, or spike your blood pressure through the roof.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So how does that work? Do you use dummy rounds?

 **SAOIRSE:** Ha! You're adorable. Nah, we use the real deal.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But how do you avoid serious injury?

 **SAOIRSE:** By being better than everyone else.

 **INTERVIEWER:** We'll come back to this later. What were the SPARTANS doing during all this?

 **SAOIRSE:** _(shrugs)_ I don't know. I suppose they were bored out of their minds.

* * *

"Man, I'm so bored," Steve complained. He sat back in a chair and stared up at the sky. Allen and Aurora were playing cards and Allen spared a glance in his direction. "We could always use a third," he suggested.

"Yeah, but I don't feel like beating you again," Steve said with a sigh. "Even winning got boring."

Aurora sighed and tossed her cards on the table. "You win. I don't even need to count." Allen grinned and gathered up all the cards. "Has anyone seen the good doctor recently?" Steve asked.

"Not since the other day when he was talking to…" Allen snapped his fingers to jog his memory.

"Valentina? The blue girl?" Steve offered.

"Yes! Her!" Allen said. "They must have really hit it off."

"Nah. It's not like that. The only reason Doc is interested in her is because she's an alien," Steve said.

"She's not an alien," Aurora argued.

"Well she's not exactly human and that's good enough for the doctor," Steve said. "He'd probably trying to convince her to come back with us so he can study her more."

Allen scoffed. "Yeah right. Like that would ever happen." Just then, there was a loud commotion as Saoirse kicked in the door. "Hey! I heard you were bored. Let's go do something about it!"

Allen, Steve and Aurora instinctively went for their guns and Saoirse strode in to find three automatic weapons pointed at her face. After a moment of tense silence, Saoirse slowly raised her hands in the air. "On second thought, perhaps that wasn't the best idea."

"I'll say," Allen said, putting his weapon down. "Are you always this careless? We could have shot you."

"To answer your question, not always and getting shot is nowhere close to the worse thing that has ever happened to me," Saoirse said. "But we won't get into that. Unless you really want to know."

"Maybe later," Aurora said. "What's this you were saying about being bored?"

"I figured y'all had been cooped up in here enough and should go out and see some stuff," Saoirse said. "I'm on duty again today, so let's go!"

"Um, it will take some time to put our armor back on," Allen said.

"Don't worry. You won't need it," Saoirse assured them.

"But I'd rather not leave it lying around here," Allen countered. Saoirse held out her hand and her Ghost, Musashi, appeared. "Hey little guy. How much storage space do I have left?"

"Um, you should have enough for their armor, but I recommend swapping out some of your inventory," Musashi said.

"What does that mean?" Aurora asked.

"I think it means I should give you some loaner armor for the time being," Saoirse said. "Or something to that effect."

"Valkyrie said their armor is much heavier than normal armor. It takes up about the same amount of space, but the weight could cause a problem," Musashi said.

"Wait, wait, wait," Saoirse said. "How does that make sense? You've transported much heavier stuff than just armor before. Not to mention all the random crap I have in my inventory."

"True, but even Ghosts have a limit to how much stuff we can handle," Musashi complained.

"Fine! Whatever!" Saoirse said and threw her hands up in the air. "Pull out all of my armor that you're carrying."

"All of it?" Musashi asked.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Saoirse growled. Musashi flinched and multiple armor pieces appeared on the ground.

"Wow. This is all pretty interesting," Allen said, picking up a helmet.

"Some of this is pretty ornate. It would be a shame for this to get ruined," Aurora said. Saoirse shrugged. "Well if it gets broke, you can always fix it. Or find better armor." With the armor inventory now empty, Musashi scanned the Mjolnir armor and put it in storage. "Ugh. I feel so bloated," he complained.

"Okay, how much of this stuff can you carry?" Saoirse asked. Musashi picked up the armor pieces until a few items were left. "That's all I can handle right now," he said. Saoirse frowned. "Well whatever," she said and placed the remaining armor pieces aside. "Now that's settled, shall we go?"

"Go where?" Aurora asked.

"To the wall!" Saoirse said.

"Um, aren't we technically still in or on your wall?" Aurora asked. Saoirse waved her off. "Semantics," she said and walked out the door with the reluctant Spartans following. "Okay, you are correct to a certain point," she said. "The part of the wall where the Tower is located is mostly populated by the Guardians and various support staff. A lot of routine tasks are carried out by robots called frames." Saoirse led them to a side room in the North Tower area. "Titans act as the main force for the City's security. This is where we go for our assignments." She walked up to a display board and looked for her name. "Yep. Wall duty. Again," she sighed.

"You act like that's a bad thing," Steve said.

"It is, but it isn't," Saoirse said. "Wall duty is considered to be the lowest and most mundane of all the tasks. I'd rather be out there fighting and mixing it up out in the wilds."

"Maybe you should be Hunter then," a gruff voice spoke up. Saoirse turned and saw a fellow Titan. He was tall, almost taller than Steve and heavily armored. He carried his helmet under his arm. Steve noticed he was an Awoken like Valentina, except his color was a bit duller and he seemed much older. Streaks of black face paint lined his cheeks, and he spoke with a heavy accent. "Nah, I don't really want to be a Hunter. They're too squishy in Crucible," Saoirse said.

"Hmph," the male Titan replied. "Who'er your new friends?"

"These guys? Just some newcomers Selene picked up in a dark alley," Saoirse said. "It's rare to see you away from the prison. Did ya forget what the sun looked like?"

"I have not forgotten what the sun looked like," he rumbled. "I came to give a status report to the Vanguard." Saoirse nodded in acknowledgement. "Anyway, this is Vladimir. He's 'in charge' of the prison and confinement cells."

"What does 'in charge' mean?" Allen asked.

"Basically it means he's the only one big and mean enough to keep the crazies in line, and even that's a stretch," Saoirse said. "Mostly it involves babysitting drunk and disorderly Guardians."

"Wait. There's a bar here?" Steve asked, pushing Allen and Aurora aside.

"Um yeah?" Saoirse replied.

"Why am I just now hearing about this?" Steve exclaimed.

"Well okay then, I'll add that to the tour list," Saoirse said and made a checkmark on an invisible list.

"You make jokes, but it is important job," Vladimir said. "I also come to see if anyone would like to come help. I give you good deal."

"What kind of good deal?" Saoirse asked, suddenly intrigued.

"For starters, no more wall duty," Vladimir said. Saoirse sighed and put her hands over her heart. "Music to my ears!" she swooned. "Tell me more."

"Six hour on, twelve hour off for three days then two days off. Repeat as necessary," Vladimir said. Saoirse nodded. "I like the sound of that. Might have to consider it."

"Also is more boring than wall duty, hence no wall duty," Vladimir added and Saoirse winced. "Yeah, about that," she said. "I think I'll stick to wall duty for now, but I'll think about your offer." Vladimir grunted like he didn't believe her and left.

When he was gone, Saoirse said, "Yeah. I don't think prison duty is a good idea."

"Why not?" Aurora asked.

"Because it's pretty boring, nothing happens except on the weekends when people get drunk, the prison is located in the lowest levels of the Tower, you never get out, no sunshine, and there are in fact permanent residents down there that will give you the willies," Saoirse said with a shiver.

"What did they do to deserve that?" Aurora asked and Saoirse shrugged. "Dunno. Must have been really bad."

"Couldn't they just use their abilities to escape?" Allen asked.

"I don't really know how it works, but I do know that there are ways to keep Guardians from escaping," Saoirse said. "This is creepy and depressing. Let's talk about other things."

"Like how much you hate this wall duty?" Allen asked.

"Exactly!" Saoirse said. "C'mon and I'll show you why I hate it." Saoirse looked at a different display board and found her specific duty. After a short walk, they arrived at a monorail station. "This is faster than walking, but not as wasteful as making a short two second flight from the Tower hangar," Saoirse said. The train showed up and they stepped onboard. The car was mostly empty, so they sat where they wanted. After a moment, the train took off. The hustle and bustle of the Tower faded the further they got. Soon they were treated to an incredible view of the city, Traveler and surrounding mountains. "Where are we heading?" Aurora asked.

"There's a section of wall up ahead that has become unstable,' Saoirse said. "We're going to shore it up and fix it the best we can."

"Like glorified construction workers?" Steve asked.

"Partially. We're also there to provide security for the civilians we will be working with," Saoirse said. "They're the brains and we're more the brawn."

"Will it be just us then?" Allen asked.

"Nah, there will be other Titans too," Saoirse said. "Mostly newbies and Kinderguardians though."

"Great. Babysitting. Just what I always wanted to do," Allen grumped.

"It can't be that bad," Aurora said.

They arrived at their destination and Aurora was right. It wasn't as bad as they thought. "I think our definition of 'crappy job' is much different than yours," Steve complained.

"Shut up! Back to work!" Saoirse laughed maniacally and pretended to crack a whip over their heads." They spend the rest of the day helping with the survey work and pouring concrete. Saoirse also took her turn manning the wall and watching for enemies.

"And you do this every day?" Aurora asked. They were tired after the hard work and sat slumped in the train back to the Tower. "Not every day, but most days," Saoirse admitted.

"What do you do for fun?" Allen asked.

"Depends. Some Guardians, quite a few actually, like to go drinking," Saoirse said. "Others like to find various forms of companionship and some like to kick back and take it easy. But a lot of Guardians like to take out their frustrations in the Crucible."

"What's that?" Steve asked.

"Think of it as a live-fire training exercise against other Guardians," Saoirse said.

"You mean you actually try to kill each other?" Aurora asked, the shock clearly evident in her voice.

"Oh there is no 'try' about it," Saoirse said. "That's the whole point."

"Why?" Aurora asked.

"To help improve your chances against our enemies in the wild," Saoirse said. "The whole point of the Crucible is to train Guardians for battle."

"We have something similar, but not with live rounds," Allen said.

"It's not a big deal for us, since we can come back to life after fatal injury," Saoirse said. "It sounds bad, but after a while you kind of become desensitized to the whole dying thing."

Steve leaned forward. "Tell me more about this Crucible thing."

"Yeah. I'm rather intrigued as well," Allen added. Saoirse gave them a once over. "Seeing how you aren't Guardians, I don't know how well it would work. But if you're serious, I'll see what I can do." Steve grinned. "This is gonna be good."

* * *

 **INTERVIEWER:** So you intentionally brought them into a live-fire training exercise?

 **SAOIRSE:** Calling it that is an insult to the Crucible and Lord Shaxx would have your head on a spike.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Regardless of that, how did you make it work? As you have said, SPARTANS can't be resurrected.

 **SAOIRSE:** _(sigh)_ Will you shut up and let me finish? And besides, it's not like we forced them into it. They agreed of their own free will. We made them sign legal forms and everything, saying they were responsible for their own actions and wouldn't blame the Crucible for any serious bodily harm or death.

 **INTERVIEWER:** You really made them sign papers?

 **SAOIRSE:** _(laughs)_ No. I just wanted to see the look on your face. Like I said, we made it work. Stop interrupting!

* * *

"Okay, explain this to me again?" Selene asked. They were standing in the outer courtyard of a long abandoned tower on the Wall. Steve, Allen and Aurora were back in their regular armor and it looked much better. They were all standing in a circle as Saoirse explained the rules. "I talked Lord Shaxx into giving us Bannerfall for a few hours to have a few rounds with these guys," Saoirse said.

"I get that, but why are we here?" Selene asked, pointing to herself and Valentina.

"Because three vs three is more fun than regular Rumble," Saoirse said. "And it wouldn't be fair for the three of them against one of me."

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with," Selene said.

"Okay. We'll use the Elimination game type," Saoirse said. "That makes it fair for you because of the whole resurrection thing."

"How is this fair to us?" Allen asked. "The way I see it, we're still at a disadvantage."

"Just shut up and let me finish," Saoirse said. "Elimination consists of two minute rounds. First team to win five rounds wins the match. Resurrections are enabled, but have a fifteen second count down. No self rez. Heavy ammo appears during the third round and ammo boxes are unlocked thirty seconds into each round. Questions?"

"Um yeah," Steve asked, raising his hand. "How is this still fair for us if you can be resurrected?"

"Let me explain," Isis said through Aurora's helmet. "The hydrostatic gel layer in your armor can be pressurized during heavy damage to prevent injury. Consequently, too much damage will over-pressurize the gel layer and cause the armor to lock up. What we can do is adjust the threshold level where you take damage, but not so much damage to possibly kill you."

"Now how is that fair to us?" Selene asked.

"To pressurize and depressurize the gel layer takes a bit of time and I can put a time limit on how long the armor will stay pressurized," Isis said.

"Okay, I think we're onto something," Saoirse said. Unfortunately for Aurora, she became the unwilling test subject as Saoirse shot her with various weapons at different ranges to figure out the damage threshold. Once Isis was satisfied and Aurora clearly unhappy, the settings were passed to Allen and Steve. "Now that's settled, take a minute to walk around and get a feel for the layout," Saoirse to the SPARTANS. They nodded and headed off. When they were out of hearing, Selene turned to Saoirse. "This is a terrible idea."

"What are you talking about? This is a great idea!" Saoirse argued. "Besides, when I told Shaxx these guys were super soldiers where they come from, he was more than happy to test them."

"But why us and not someone more famous in the crucible, like True Vanguard, MTashed or RealKraftyy?" Selene asked.

"You really think those guys would take time out of their day to deal with something like this?" Saoirse asked. "This is beneath them." Selene sighed and shook her head. "This is going to end badly," she said.

Allen, Steve and Aurora walked around to get a feel for the location. "Seems to be identical on both sides," Allen said.

"Yep. Lots of open lanes for sniping too. Need to watch out for that." Steve added.

"There's also quite a few chokepoints into the middle area too," Aurora said.

"This location is pretty easy to guard against a flanking attack through the hangar area," Allen said.

"That room is a good, but is pretty blind from the bottom and behind," Steve noted.

"It seems that the teams will start on opposite sides," Aurora said. "It seems a general strategy is to run to the inner courtyard and engage the enemy there."

"True, but you'll have to watch for above the doorway and coming in from the outside," Allen said. They walked around for a bit and noted the locations of the ammo boxes. When they were satisfied, they met back up with the Guardians. "Okay, I think we're good to go," Steve said.

"One last thing," Saoirse said. "In the third round when the heavy ammo appears, it will be out here by the tree and inside there on the back wall." She pointed to the tree and inside the inner courtyard. "And you see those banners?" she added and pointed. Allen and Steve nodded. "The green fist on black background is the old Concordant symbol. On the other side is New Monarchy. You start on the Concordant side and we'll start on the New Monarchy side. I'll let Lord Shaxx know we're ready." Allen and Steve nodded and went off with Aurora.

"So what's the strategy, oh fearless leader," Selene asked.

"I'll rush in, Val you come with for support, and you stay back and complain," Saoirse said. "Does that sound good?"

"No. That sounds terrible," Selene said. "These guys are highly trained soldiers. They'll stick together and team shot the hell out of us. I say we stick together and do the same."

"Okay fine. I'll carefully rush in, Val you come with for support, and you stay back and camp. Better?" Saoirse asked.

"No," Selene said. "We'll stay together, call out movement and try not to get embarrassed."

"Well whatever! We're starting," Saoirse growled. She held up her hand and Musashi appeared. "Tell ol' one horn we're ready." Musashi's eye flashed. "Done," he said.

"Hmph. All right then. Impress me and show me this wasn't a waste of my time," Lord Shaxx said over the loudspeakers. "Begin! Crush your enemies!" With that, the timer started.

Saoirse ran straight ahead, with Valentina flanking her. They split up and Saoirse went through the middle door to the center courtyard and Valentina cautiously approached the inner door. Selene jumped up to the second level and carefully walked down the balcony to see down into the other side. She pulled out her sniper rifle and peered down the scope. She saw a flash of white and pulled the trigger. Selene saw the hit, but wasn't sure about the damage. "One's weak up on the balcony. I think she ducked inside the second floor office area," she called out.

There was a barrage of gunfire from the center courtyard and Saoirse cursed loudly. "Blue outside by the tree. Red one's weak, he went back inside the door. I'm dead," Saoirse called out.

"I see him," Valentina called out and ran after Steve's retreating form. "Don't get too far," Selene warned. She jumped down from her perch, cautiously approached the middle door and peeked inside. She couldn't see much from her location, but had a good line of sight to the outer courtyard. She saw a brief glint out of the corner of her eye and quickly ducked back behind the door before a bullet impacted where her head had just been. "Sniper, outside by the Concordant ammo box," she called out and raced through the inner door to the courtyard.

Valentina lost sight of Steve when he ran into the hangar. "I lost him in the hangar," she said. Carefully, she stayed out of sight under the second floor and made her way up the stairs to her right. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"Everything's fine here," Selene said over the sound of gunfire. "Watch out for the red one. He might be coming to you." Valentina checked the radar on her HUD and saw it light up red. Someone was above her. Valentina swapped her scout rifle for her fusion rifle and crept up the stairs. Before she reached the top, she tossed her grenade and ran up the rest of the stairs. She saw Aurora hiding in the corner and shot at her with her fusion rifle. In a feat of dexterity, Aurora jumped over Valentina's head and landed behind her. Before Valentina could turn around, Aurora shot an entire magazine of ammo into Valentina's back. She fell forward and rolled to the side, tossing another grenade. Aurora jumped back, avoiding the grenade damage and fired her shotgun at Valentina. Valentina couldn't take any more damage and she fell right there. "I'm sorry Selene. I'm dead," Valentina apologized.

Selene sighed in frustration. Barely a minute into the match and it was now three on one. "Come get my rez," Saoirse called out. "There's no one nearby." Selene was currently hiding behind a stack of boxes near the lower entrance to the New Monarchy side. She peeked out with her sniper rifle, saw a flash of blue near the Concordant ammo box, and pulled the trigger. Allen dropped like a brick. Selene didn't stay to admire her handiwork and sprinted back to the New Monarchy staging area and rounded the corner to the inner courtyard. She slid to a stop near Saoirse's body and pulled out her ghost. A few seconds later and a flash of light, Saoirse was back on her feet. "Took you long enough," she said.

Selene didn't answer and saw movement on her motion tracker. She tossed her smoke bomb and grenade through the middle door to the Concordant side. "One's down near the ammo box on that side," she said and pointed. Gunfire erupted and they both ducked behind the tree. "Both on my side!" Saoirse called out and returned fire. Selene snuck around the other side and jumped over the planter box to ambush. While she was in the air, Steve caught her alongside the head with the butt of his gun and sent her sprawling. Saoirse tossed out a grenade, causing an explosion of electrical energy. Selene rolled to the side, avoiding a point-blank shotgun blast from Aurora and jumped to her feet. Aurora stayed close, firing shell after shell until her shotgun clicked empty. Selene shot back with her hand cannon and stabbed at Aurora with her knife. Aurora ducked under the knife and closed the distance, unleashing a devastating combo to Selene's torso. Selene defended herself as best as she could and swept Aurora's legs from under her. As she was falling, Selene pounced on her and shoved her knife into the gap between Aurora's helmet and chest armor. Before it could find purchase, Aurora pushed Selene off. As Selene stumbled back, she caught a flash of motion out of the corner of her eye before her vision exploded in white light.

"That's it. Round over," Shaxx called out. The Guardians were resurrected and met at their start point. "What happened at the end?" Selene asked.

"He got me and then shot you in the head," Saoirse admitted.

"After you winged Aurora, I went after her and she got me," Valentina mumbled. Selene put her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. These guys are professional soldiers. This is what they do."

"Didn't you get one though?" Saoirse asked.

"Yeah. He was out by the tree looking in. I shot him in the head," Selene said. "In any case, we need to stick together." The others nodded and the next round started. Unfortunately, it went pretty much the same. Saoirse tried to go toe to toe with Steve and he nearly knocked her head off. Valentina got her revenge on Aurora, but was cleaned up by Allen. Selene led Steve and Allen on a merry chase and took out Steve before she was shot by Allen.

Saoirse was getting heated and starting to take things personal. She made it her mission in life to put an end to Steve and he was more than happy to oblige her. Due to his augmented strength, better armor and training, Steve was the victor every time. Saoirse got her licks in though and this made her even angrier. It became an unwritten agreement to leave those two alone, so Selene and Valentina went two-on-two with Allen and Aurora. The third round was a victory for the Guardians as Valentina sacrificed herself for Selene to recover the heavy ammo. With her strange looking machine gun, Selene made short work of Allen and Aurora and after Saoirse had beaten Steve to within an inch of his life, Selene shot him too.

The Spartans ended up taking the next three rounds and won the match five rounds to one. Lord Shaxx was quite impressed. "I didn't know what to expect from you all, but you put on a fine performance. I'd be willing to let you go against other Guardian fireteams in this Crucible format. You could teach them a thing or two about teamwork."

Needless to say, Saoirse was furious. "Those rotten, cheating bastards!" she shouted and threw her helmet against the wall. They were back at the Spartan's apartment. "I wanna wipe the smug smiles off their faces and kick their teeth in!"

Selene sat back and watched Saoirse rage. "I told you this would happen," she said. Saoirse turned on her. "Shut it! I don't want to deal with your shit right now!" She stalked around the room, kicking and throwing her helmet everywhere. Valentina took cover behind a table. Selene was becoming irritated with Saoirse. "You need to cool off for a bit," she said.

"And you need to take this more seriously!" Saoirse shouted. "The reason we lost is because you get all willy-nilly when it comes to Crucible."

"I have never said I like competing in Crucible, nor do I have any illusions about my skill," Selene said evenly. "The only thing that matters is what happens out in the wild."

"And he broke my favorite helmet!" Saoirse shouted, practically pulling her hair out. "Crushed it like an aluminum can!"

"You have other helmets," Valentina offered. Saoirse turned on her and stared daggers. "That one went with my armor the best! That's why it was my favorite."

"We lost because you got too emotional and let that dictate your fight," Selene said. "You weren't using you head, except as a punching bag."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS FROM YOU!" Saoirse shouted, punching a hole in the brick wall.

"Well, that's it for me the. I'm out," Selene said and left.

Valentina watched Saoirse warily. "Selene is right. Please calm down," she pleaded. Saoirse let out an explosive sigh. "Those guys were pretty good," she grudgingly admitted.

"What's all this commotion here?" Steve asked as they came in. He saw the hole in the wall and stopped. "I'm not paying for that," he said. Saoirse glared at him. "You won fair and square, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You're' welcome to try anytime sweetheart," Steve said with a smug grin. Saoirs'e face twisted and she went after Steve but Allen and Valentina stepped between them. "Okay, okay. That's enough for now," Allen said. "Didn't you say there was a bar near here?" he asked.

"There's a little place near the Tower hangar," Valentina suggested.

"Perfect. We can drown our sorrows in what passes for alcohol in this place then," Allen said.

Valentina led them through the Tower and down through the Hangar. The "Bar" was made out of an old cargo ship and was more of a lounge than anything. Selene was already there and waved them over. They sat around in uncomfortable silence when Selene said, "I'm not too good at this sort of thing but I propose a toast." She raised her glass and the others did the same. "To victory. May our enemies become the dust beneath our boots, whoever or wherever they might be." They clinked glasses together and drank the contents. Saoirse was still fuming, so they made small talk before ending the night.


	8. Session 7: Selene

**INTERVIEWER:** At what point was the decision made to try and find a way for the Spartans and Doctor Chudnoffsky to come back here?

 **SELENE:** Almost immediately.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Really? I find that hard to believe.

 **SELENE:** Well it wasn't for lack of trying.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I feel like we've gotten off-track somewhere.

 **SELENE:** Why do you say that?

 **INTERVIEWER:** The information you've given us so far is indeed useful, but it doesn't explain how the Spartans ended up on your world or how you managed to come back.

 **SELENE:** Okay, you're right. I imagine you think we're just stringing you along and wasting your time. You want the short answer? I don't know.

 **INTERVIWER:** You don't know what?

 **SELENE:** I don't know how they got here. I only know what they've said and what indications my Ghost recorded when I found them. As far as how to get back? You think we didn't try to recreate the initial conditions?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Well did you?

 **SELENE:** Oh yeah, sure. We took one of the nukes we just happened to have lying around, found a Hive portal that just 'magically' started working again, blew it up, caused a singularity, and got picked up by you clowns.

 **INTERVIEWER:** …

 **SELENE:** Here's the thing. I don't understand the 'how' or 'why' this stuff works. Most of the time, I just hit the 'I Believe!' button and go from there. But that's not what's bothering you, is it?

 **INTERVIEWER:** What do you mean?

 **SELENE:** You don't really care about us. All you want to know is if the enemies from our world can re-create the process and follow us here. That's what you're worried about. Look, I get it. You just finished a long war for the survival of Humanity against a collection of aliens, and the last thing you want is to repeat the process. I can't give you any guarantee that they won't find you here.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Has anyone ever said you can be rather blunt?

 **SELENE:** I've been accused of worse. Judging by your reaction, I'm not far off am I?

 **INTERVIEWER:** To a point, yes. We want to know if the incident can be re-created.

 **SELENE:** Like I said, I don't know but the answer is probably yes.

* * *

Selene sat in a small crater on the surface of the Moon. The ring of space junk glittered brightly above, and the Earth slowly rose above the horizon. The only sound she heard was the quiet noises her mechanical body made when she was at rest. It had been about a month since the Spartans had showed up. Since they were closer to Titans than Hunters or Warlocks, they spent a lot of time with Saoirse and helping her with Titan duties. They also spent a lot of time competing in Crucible, much to the delight of Lord Shaxx. Once the other Guardians figured out the Spartans, the matches became more intense and competitive.

"What are you thinking about?" Ghost asked.

"Oh, terrible ideas," Selene replied. She hefted one of her throwing knives and tossed it casually at a boulder where two other knives were already stuck.

"Is it about those Spartan fellows?" Ghost asked.

"Yeah, something like that," Selene admitted. "The first bad idea I had was to do what they did and blow up a Hive portal with a nuke."

"You're right. That is a terrible idea," Ghost agreed.

"The next bad idea I had was to invade the Vex network and open a hole in space-time using one of their portals," Selene said. She drew another of her throwing knives and tossed it at the same bolder several feet away. It imbedded itself in the rock, next to the other knives.

"That is an equally bad, if not worse, idea," Ghost said.

Selene tried again. "Or we attempt to use one of those Taken portals-"

"Absolutely not!" Ghost interrupted.

"Yeah, I wasn't serious about that idea either," Selene grumbled. "Nuking the Hive portal seems like the easiest plan."

"True, but the reason I think it worked for them is because it was linked to the Shrine of Oryx through the Hive Ascendant Realm," Ghost said. "I don't know if they have something similar to that in their universe."

"I find it very unlikely the Hive would only have one portal and no way to communicate from here to there," Selene said. "So do you think they are stuck here?"

"Who knows? Perhaps someone smarter than us will come up with a solution," Ghost said.

"Perhaps. I know Val has been trying to work on a solution. She told me she spoke to Myelin, Byf, and some of the other historians, but it's been slow going," Selene said.

"That's a lot of brainpower," Ghost marveled.

"Yeah," Selene agreed. "I wonder if Rasputin has anything to say about this?"

"Gee, why don't we go ask him?" Selene said and rose to her feet. She recovered her knives from the rock and put them away. Suddenly, she stopped. "I just had the worst idea ever."

"Oh? Do tell," Ghost replied

"Why not do both?" Selene said. "Nuke a Hive portal AND hijack the Vex network. Whichever one produces the best result is the winner." She clapped her hands and spread her arms, extremely pleased with herself.

"But how would we know the results?" Ghost asked. Selene shrugged. "Send a probe or something?"

"Also, we can't just keep blowing up Hive portals," Ghost argued. "There's a finite number of them and the fallout from the explosions would add another layer of 'nope.'"

Selene frowned. "From what I understand, the bomb they used was damaged and didn't go nuclear. So either a partial nuke or a ton of conventional explosives."

Ghost thought for a moment. "If we do decide to go that route, I'm sure the Cabal have plenty of the type of explosives we need."

"Well, that's a start then," Selene said, attempting to brush the moon dust off her armor and failing miserably. "Let's head to Mars and start stealing stuff."

"Should we inform the Vanguard?" Ghost asked.

"Nah. Let's just keep this between us for now," Selene said. "Actually, call Val and have her meet us there."

"Why not Saoirse too?" Ghost asked and Selene shook her head. "She's probably busy on the Wall and besides, it's been a while since it was just me and Val."

"Fair enough I guess," Ghost replied and twisted its front points, the Ghost equivalent of a shrug. Overhead, Selene's ship appeared. Since Amanda had impounded her normal ship, Selene was forced to use one of her others. This one was smaller, more of a single-seat jet type. It had short, stubby wings with engine nacelles attached on the ends. A small missile pod hung under each wing. The whole ship was gunmetal grey and had large sections of armor that resembled the same material that Hive armor was mad of. To add to the creepy factor, the front of the ship was a three-eyed skull with glowing green eyes. Ghost shuddered. "Of all the ships you have, why this one?"

"Because I never use it, it looks cool, and I found the blueprints while exploring Crota's Ascendant Realm," Selene said. "That in its self is a reward." She looked up at her ship, aptly named Light in the Abyss. Ghost gave a heavy sigh and trasmatted her onboard. Once in the pilot seat, Selene set the coordinates for Mars and entered faster-than-light speed. Selene settled back and tried to get comfortable in the chair. "I think I rely on my other ship too much," she groused.

"And whatever gave you that idea?" Ghost retorted. Selene gave Ghost a stern look and turned her attention back to the control panel. About five minutes later, the ship decelerated and entered orbit above Mars. "So now what?" Ghost asked.

Selene looked out of the view screen at the red planet. "Do the Cabal still have that base near Freehold?" she asked.

"Recent reports say yes. The Cabal have been surging lately and are actually pushing the Vex back," Ghost said.

Selene frowned. "What changed?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but it seems like the Cabal have been receiving reinforcements from the Cabal Empire," Ghost said.

"And we're just now figuring this out?" Selene asked, her voice raising.

"Don't get mad at me. I'm just telling you what the reports say. It's not my fault if nobody pays attention to them," Ghost said. "With the recent problems we've been having, it's not unexpected for something like this to go unnoticed."

"But that doesn't make sense. Reinforcements? That is unheard of for the Cabal," Selene said.

"Well I guess we don't know everything about them," Ghost shot back. Selene was about to say something, but thought better of it. "Anyway, let's get down there and see if we can steal some bombs from them." Selene took control and steered down to the surface. "Tell Val to meet us in Freehold in the building with the number 7 painted on it," Selene said. Ghost's eye flashed for a second. "Done. Shall I tell her to BYOB?"

"Ha ha, very funny. You know she doesn't drink," Selene said. She steered the ship just outside the ruins of Freehold to avoid any Cabal patrols. Freehold, once the largest and grandest of Humanity's cities. It was linked to other great cities on Mars via the Off World Transit rail system. Research companies, such as Clovis Bray, set up facilities in Freehold to further Humanity's science and understanding. Unfortunately, the Collapse sent the once great city into ruin and the red deserts of Mars were slowly reclaiming and burying the ruins. It didn't help that the Cabal and Vex were fighting over the remains.

Once the ship dropped her off and went back to orbit, Selene called her sparrow and sped off. Up ahead in the distance, she could see the abandoned skyscrapers. Selene sped through a ruined building and emerged in the outskirts of the city. Directly ahead was the entrance to the Dust Palace, Clovis Bray's main research facility. Guardians were repeatedly tasked with cleaning out the Vex and Cabal that always seemed to end up inside. The City wanted to avoid having any technology that remained fall into enemy hands. Selene stayed clear of the entrance. This area used to be a Clovis Bray industrial park and the surrounding buildings served various functions. The entrance to building seven was buried under the sand dunes, and the only way to get inside was to take the sky bridge that connected building five to building seven. Selene stopped at the entrance and hopped off her sparrow. After a few moments, it disappeared back into her storage.

"I'm picking up some Cabal chatter," Ghost said. "There might be a patrol inside."

"No time like the present," Selene said, and readied her Hawkmoon. The Cabal Empire is a hightly militarized and heavily armed race of aliens bent on conquest and domination. The Cabal organizational structure resembled that of the Roman Empire in Earth's history. No one was sure where they came from, but once the Cabal invaded a planet, they proved very difficult to dislodge.

Selene peeked her head inside and saw two Cabal Phalanx soldiers patrolling. Phalanx soldiers were annoying because they carried thick metal shields that blocked all small arms fire. Once a Phalanx planted its shield, it would fire its weapon over the top of the shield. The only options to combat this were to try and flank the Phalanx or shoot at the weapon to disrupt it. Selene preferred to catch them unawares. She drew a bead and when one turned to the side and exposed its body, she sent a bullet through its head. The Phalanx dropped immediately and started spewing a black oily substance. Its mate turned in Selene's direction and she threw a grenade. It exploded behind the Phalanx, distracting it. When Selene saw an opening, she shot the second Phalanx, killing it too.

At the top of the landing were three Legionaries, the lowest rank in the Cabal military. These were the basic foot soldiers. They saw what had happened and opened fire, forcing Selene to duck into cover. She primed her smoke bomb and tossed it out, blinding the Cabal soldiers. While they were distracted, Selene killed them all with well-placed shots. She continued up the stairs and came to the sky bridge. It was being guarded by two Phalanx and two Legionaries. Selene crouched down and pulled out her sniper rifle and quickly killed the two Legionaries. The Phalanx in turn, both opened fire. Selene didn't try to risk poking her head out under the intense fire and tossed a grenade as far down the bridge as she could. With Phalanx's vision obscured by the wall of purple flames, Selene sprinted down the bridge and ducked behind a stack of boxes. The Phalanx were still shooting at her, but they had taken some damage from her grenade. Selene saw the feet of one of the Phalanx, so she took careful aim and pulled the trigger. The Phalanx howled in pain and lowered its shield, and when it did so, Selene put two bullets in its brain. The second Phalanx wend down in a similar fashion. Luckily, there were no more Cabal and Selene finished crossing the bridge and entered building seven.

Selene holstered her weapons and looked around. Anything of use had been scavenged long ago, leaving empty crates and racks that used to hold electronic equipment. Most of the windows had been broken a long time ago, offering and unobstructed view outside. From this location, Selene could see one of Mars' moons floating in the sky. At this distance, the Sun was smaller and offered less light to the planet. She sat on a crate and waited for Valentina. After a while, Ghost spoke up. "Wasn't Nyx found somewhere around here?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Selene replied curtly.

"I didn't think it was still a sore subject," Ghost said.

"Anything to do with Nyx is a sore subject," Selene replied. Ghost couldn't see her eyes, but the eyes of Selene's helmet burned through its tiny body. "Yeesh. I'm sorry I brought it up," it said.

Selene grunted and stared out the window. After a while, Valentina's voice crackled through her helmet. "I'm landing now. I should be there shortly." A few minutes later, Valentina cautiously entered the room. Selene jumped down from her perch to meet her and asked, "Did you have any problems?" Valentina shook her head and stowed her gun. "I haven't seen any Cabal or Vex. Doesn't that seem a little strange to you?"

"Well, a strike team did come through recently and clean out the Dust Palace again," Selene said. "And I did run into a small Cabal patrol on my way here."

"I suppose they are busy somewhere else then," Valentina offered and Selene nodded in agreement. "Hopefully that's the case for what I have in mind."

"You want to steal bombs from the Cabal?" Valentina asked.

"Yep. I figure it's easier than making or using our own," Selene replied.

"In what way? I'm pretty sure we could find the components and make them ourselves. It would be considerably less dangerous," Valentina said.

"True, but it would be considerably more boring," Selene offered. "Plus, we are depriving our enemy of important resources."

"It's the Cabal. They're mining this entire planet for resources," Valentina deadpanned. "And why am I here?"

Selene shrugged. "It's been a while since it was just the two of us on an adventure. Plus I figured you need to get out of the Tower for a while." Valentina put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I guess that's true. I've been trying to avoid Doctor Chudnoffsky, but he's so persistent!"

"Still trying to convince you to go back with them and be a lab rat?" Selene asked. Valentina nodded in reply. "I've rebuffed him several times, but he won't take no for an answer."

Selene considered her next words very carefully. "If you weren't going to be a live specimen, would you want to go?" Valentina cocked her head at Selene. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, would you want to go with them?" Selene asked. Valentina put her hand to the chin of her helmet and thought. "That would make me a hypocrite since I told the Doctor that running away from your problems is not solving them. Isn't that what we would be doing? Running away and abandoning everyone?"

Selene shrugged. "That's one way to look at it, but I view it as an opportunity to explore somewhere that no one has ever been. Like the explorers on the colony ships. They weren't abandoning Earth, they were furthering their horizons."

"Yes they were. They were leaving Earth in a panic during the Collapse," Valentina said.

"Sure, those guys were abandoning Earth, but I'm talking about the ships launched during the Golden Age," Selene said. Valentina sighed. "I would have to think about this." Selene placed a reassuring hand on Valentina's shoulder. "Look. Don't worry about it. There's no guarantee they can even go back to their universe. I just think it would be neat to go and explore new places. Who knows? If this works, perhaps we can work out some sort of alliance with them. You know, get their help with our enemies in exchange for helping them with theirs. That sort of thing."

"I suppose that could be beneficial," Valentina agreed. "Sharing technology would certainly help us with our problems here."

"Like I said, don't worry about it too much. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Selene said. "But for the time being, let's go steal some stuff, shall we?" They exited the building, jumped on their sparrows and sped off into the desert.

"Where are we going?" Valentina asked.

"There's a Cabal outpost in the Valley of Kings that is used as an ammo depot," Selene said. "We'll sneak in, take a look around and take what we need."

"It probably won't be that simple," Valentina warned.

"I know. At least you realize that," Selene replied. They traveled through the ruined city and skirted the Cabal firebase on its outskirts before heading down an ancient canyon. They emerged through the other side and into the area known as the Valley of Kings. "The base should be just ahead," Selene said. Valentina looked around and stopped. Selene noticed Valentina wasn't following and went back to get her. "Hey! What are you staring at?" she asked.

"Um, didn't there used to be a giant Vex gate there?" Valentina asked uncertainly. Selene looked where she was pointing. "Yep. Something is definitely missing." Before, a circular device made of a bronze colored metal and swirling energy had been partially buried in the sand. Now it was completely ruined. Only small bits of metal remained. It took a moment for the two of them to process what they were seeing, or rather didn't see. "Wasn't that the portal to the Black Garden?" Valentina asked.

"Yep," Selene replied. After another moment of hesitation, Valentina asked, "What do you think this means?"

"I think it means something is going on and the Vanguard need to be informed," Selene replied. "But before that, let's finish what we set out to do."

"Do you think that has something to do with why we haven't seen any Vex?" Valentina asked. "First we destroyed their god, now the Cabal have destroyed the way to get there. Something bigger is going on here,"

"Hey! Focus!" Selene said, snapping her fingers in Valentina's face. "Stay with me now and we'll talk about it later, okay?" Valentina nodded in agreement.

About a quarter mile away, a small Cabal outpost was built into the side of the canyon. It was well within view of the ruined Vex Gate. Selene and Valentina hopped off their sparrows and made the approach on foot. Down at the entrance, a Phalanx was walking around on patrol. Above on the wall, two more Phalanx and two Legionaries were also pacing back and forth. One of the Legionaries was staring at a status screen in a small bunker on top of the wall.

"Okay here's the plan," Selene said. "I'll take out the Phalanx down below. Hopefully, no one will see it. When he's gone, take out the Legionary at the control panel. By then, the rest will probably figure out what's going on and we'll have to deal with them before they call for reinforcements. Sound good?" Valentina nodded. "Good. Go up there and hide behind those rocks and wait for my signal," Selene added and Valentina scrambled up the cliff. When she was in position, Selene changed the settings on her smoke bomb and threw it at her feet. It exploded, rendering her invisible to most forms of detection. She snuck up to the Phalanx, and when its back was turned, Selene forcefully drove one of her blades deep into its neck. Black fluid began spewing forth. Selene quickly pulled her knife free and while the Phalanx struggled, she put two bullets in its head.

Up on the cliff, Valentina quickly put suppressed round after suppressed round into her target before it finally fell. By now the rest of the Cabal were alerted and started to take up positions against her. "I have them distracted!" Valentina called out.

"Good. Keep em' focused. I'm gonna sneak up behind them," Selene replied and dashed to the opposite side of the base and deftly jumped up the canyon until she was on the wall. Selene readied her heavy machine gun and ran across the top of the wall. Valentina was doing a good job of keeping the Cabal defenders distracted and none of them noticed Selene approach. She tossed down her flame wall grenade, setting the width of the wall on fire. The Cabal started to panic as they caught fire and the two Guardians finished them off. Valentina noticed a shadow behind Selene and shouted "Look out!"

Selene quickly jumped to the side as a heavy Cabal Centurion landed where Selene had just been. Centurions act as field commanders and operational specialists. With heavier armor, energy shields, and heavy weapons, Centurions could be quite formidable. Selene tossed her smoke bomb at her feet and disappeared in a cloud of smoke to put some distance between her and the Centurion. Valentina jumped up and lobbed one of her grenades. It exploded in a flash of Solar energy and created a small sun that started to burn through the Centurion's energy shield and cook it inside its heavy armor. With a loud roar, the Centurion activated its jetpack and jumped away from the small burning sun and landed down behind the wall

While it was in the air, Selene emptied her heavy machine gun's magazine into the Centurion. Its energy shield was finally overloaded and fizzled out. Selene quickly swapped her machine gun for her sniper and pumped rounds into the Centurion's head as fast as she could pull the trigger.

Valentina snuck up as close as she dared and was firing her fusion rifle at the Centurion. The pellets of Solar energy were having decent effect, melting and burning holes in the Centurion's armor. The Centurion quickly turned in Valentina's direction and leveled its grenade launcher at her. Valentina momentarily froze. Scenes quickly flashed before her eyes and she gaped in horror.

"Val!" Selene shouted and pushed her out of the way just as the Centurion let loose a barrage of grenades. Selene tried to get away, but the explosions enveloped her and sent her body flying.

Valentina went cold. This was her fault. She wasn't paying attention and ended up in a compromised situation and Selene paid the price for her mistake. Anger and self-pity swelled in her chest until she couldn't breathe. With an anguished cry, Valentina's body burst into flame and wings of Solar energy appeared on her back. Still screaming, Valentina threw grenades as fast as she could until the Centurion was surrounded by blinding fire. Valentina hovered in the air and fired every round in her rocket launcher's magazine, and when those were gone, Valentina rushed forward and began punching the Centurion's burned body as hard as she could with her fist wrapped in golden flame.

Eventually the flames disappeared and Valentina collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. Selene sat next to her and put her arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry. It's my fault," Valentina mumbled.

"Yeah. It is," Selene agreed. Valentina blew out a deep breath. "This isn't making me feel better," she said.

"It's not supposed to," Selene replied. "I'm not mad, but try to pay more attention to your surroundings."

"I know. I just get distracted," Valentina said.

"You're still just a little Warlock. Things like that come with experience," Selene said. "One day you could be as awesome as Ikora."

Valentina shook her head. "I don't think so. For one, Ikora is a Voidwalker and I'm mostly a Sunsinger."

"Well I tell you what Miss Pouty-face. Go hack that console over there and see if you can find out what the Cabal are up to and I'll use my five finger discount on some of those warheads over there," Selene said. She put her hand on Valentina's helmet, gave it a little shake, and rose to her feet. Valentina watched her go and with a sigh, got to her feet. She stared absentmindedly out at the desert while Valkyrie worked at the console. "Interesting. It seems the Cabal have indeed been reinforced and are moving through the subway tunnels under Freehold trying to dig out the Vex."

"But where did the reinforcements come from?" Valentina asked.

"Hard to say, but it seems like the Cabal emperor is not very happy with how the war is going here," Valkyrie said. "I'd be willing to bet he's on his way here."

"I hope not," Valentina said. Valkyrie noticed Valentina's melancholy. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Valentina shook her head. "Maybe later. We're still out in the wild and I have to stay focused, or something bad might happen again."

"Hey. I'm done here," Selene said as she approached. "But before we head back to the Tower, there's some place I want to go. Wanna come with?"

A range of emotions played across Valentina's face and she was glad Selene couldn't see them through her helmet. After a moment of thought, Valentina nodded. "Good. I'll give you the coordinates and meet you there," Selene said and Ghost shared the information with Valkyrie. When this was done, Valentina transmatted to her ship. Selene sighed and looked out across the desert sands. "A penny for your thoughts?" Ghost asked.

"Nah, I'm full up on Glimmer at the moment," Selene replied.

"You do know that what you did wasn't necessary," Ghost said. "Wouldn't letting her die send a stronger message?" Selene shook her head. "Dying because you made a mistake is bad and you'll think about it for a while, but eventually you'll forget. But having someone else die because of your mistake? THAT hits you and stays with you. That's an emotion that hits you right here." Selene poked herself in the chest. "You either become more cautious and less risk averse, or take that to heart and do your best to be more aware and to prevent people dying for your mistakes."

"That's a lesson you know pretty well," Ghost said quietly. Selene reached out and Ghost settled gently in her hand, closing its eye. Selene hugged her Ghost to her chest and thought of the past. "Those who don't learn from the past are destined to repeat it," she mumbled.

"Who said that?" Ghost asked and Selene shrugged. "I must be getting old. Look at me, getting all sentimental and stuff." She blew out a sigh and released her Ghost. "Let's get going shall we? It won't look good if we keep the little Warlock waiting."

"Yeah. She might think badly of you or something," Ghost retorted. Selene rolled her eyes. Everything went white and soon she was back in the cockpit of her ship. Selene set the coordinates and headed back to Earth.


	9. Session 8: Valentina

**INTERVIEWER:** So what did you discuss with Selene?

 **VALENTINA: …**

 **INTERVIEWER:** …

 **VALENTINA:** I'd rather not talk about it.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Did you get in trouble for causing a casualty?

 **VALENTINA:** …

 **INTERVIEWER:** I understand you were pretty shaken up over what happened, but we really need to get through this. If you want, we can take a break and reconvene at a later time.

 **VALENTINA:** It doesn't matter. You won't let me leave this little room. Whether it's now or later, you're going to get what you want aren't you?

 **INTERVIEWER:** So what happened next? Where did you go with Selene?

 **VALENTINA:** Back to Earth. The coordinates she gave me were near the City.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Why there? What was the significance of that particular place?

 **VALENTINA:** I didn't know it at the time, but that was the location of Twilight Gap.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And how is that place significant?

 **VALENTINA:** Twilight Gap was a small outpost outside of the City walls and the site of the last major offensive the Fallen launched against the City. All of the Fallen houses or clans banded together and attempted to invade the City. Naturally, there was a large battle that lasted a few weeks. Twilight Gap was eventually overrun, but a counterattack led by Lord Shaxx pushed the Fallen armies back and the battle was ultimately won. Since then, the Fallen have not made any large-scale attacks against the City. Many Guardians were killed. It's also partially the reason why there aren't as many Guardians as there used to be. Between that and another event referred to as The Great Calamity.

 **INTERVIEWER:** The Great Calamity?

 **VALENTINA:** Exactly what it sounds like. That was the first and only large-scale battle against the Hive. As you expect from the name, thousands of Guardians were killed. We didn't really understand the Hive and how their weapons worked, especially their swords. The swords they carried had the ability to steal a Guardian's Light and render them powerless. After heavy casualties, the Guardians pulled back and the Moon was declared off limits. Selene was there for both. She could tell you more.

 **INTERVIEWER:** At what point in your City's history did these events take place?

 **VALENTINA:** _(shrugs)_ Twilight Gap was maybe 100-150 years or so and The Great Disaster was some time after that.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And Selene was alive before that?

 **VALENTINA:** I told you before that Selene is old and has seen and experienced many things since she became a Guardian.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Where do you and Saoirse fit into all this?

 **VALENTINA:** Saoirse was a Guardian before me and I haven't been a Guardian for very long. Maybe the last fifteen years or so?

 **INTERVIEWER:** If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to earlier. Since you Guardians can be resurrected after death, why was it such a big deal to you when Selene was hurt?

 **VALENTINA: …**

* * *

Valentina didn't say a word the entire trip back from Mars. Valkyrie became concerned for her Guardian as she settled quietly on top of Valentina's head. She was actually quite surprised at Valentina's outburst. Death and resurrection were part of everyday life for a Guardian, so why was Valentina so upset? "Valentina? I know you're upset, but do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

Valentina shook her head. "Not right now."

"Valentina? I'm your Ghost, your partner. You know you can talk to me about these things right?" Valkyrie asked.

After a moment, Valentina replied. "I know."

"Okay. I just wanted you to know," Valkyrie said and closed her eye. A few minutes later, the ship slowed and entered Earth orbit. Valentina piloted the ship down near the City and next to an abandoned bunker complex. Valentina exited her ship and it flew back into orbit on standby.

The area was a forested canyon with very little sign of wildlife. Behind her and off in the distance, Valentina could make out the walls of the City. The building was heavily damaged and the gun emplacements had fallen into disrepair long ago. Even though nature was in the process of reclaiming the land, there were many signs that a great battle had once taken place. Valentina sighed and sat on a rock under a tree. "Valkyrie? May I have my travel bag?" she asked.

"Of course," Valkyrie replied and a duffel bag appeared on the ground. Valentina unzipped it and pulled out a ukulele. She made some minor adjustments to the tuning and began strumming absentmindedly. Soon, the quiet notes of the ukulele added to the subtle sounds of the forest. Valentina began humming along to "Over the Rainbow" and she started to feel a bit better.

"That's quite nice," Valkyrie said.

"I agree," Valentina said. She stood up and started to pace around and move in tune to the music. "How about something a little more upbeat?" she said and started playing a heavy metal guitar riff. Valkyrie bobbed enthusiastically in the air. "Oh yeah! I could totally get into this! What is this song?"

"I believe it's titled 'Cowboys from Hell' by a pre-Golden Age rock band," Valentina replied. Her fingers flew across the small instrument, producing a fast paced, slightly tinny sound. When she was done, Selene emerged from the tree line, clapping her hands. "Bravo, bravo," she said and mimed throwing money. Valentina jumped in surprise and nearly dropped her instrument.

"Val, what did we just get done talking about?" Selene asked, like she was scolding a small child.

Valentina put her hands behind her back and slumped her shoulders. "To pay attention to my surroundings," she said softly and dug her toe in the dirt.

Selene stared at Valentina for a moment and sighed. "Come. Take a walk with me," she said and waved her forward. Valentina put the ukulele back in her bag and ran to catch up while Valkyrie put the bag back in storage. They walked a ways back up the canyon, neither Guardian saying anything. Valentina was starting to grow worried again that Selene would start yelling at her. "Val, do you know where we are?" Selene asked, startling Valentina. She shook her head no.

"This is Twilight Gap, where that big battle with the Fallen happened," Selene said.

"Oh," was all Valentina managed to say. Selene stared off into the distance. "I was there you know," she said.

Valentina's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Yep," Selene nodded. "I was still a pretty new Guardian at the time, so I didn't really understand what was going on. All I knew was the Fallen had gotten together and were making another big attack on the City. Not since Six Fronts had anything like this happened." She pointed up the canyon. "The fallen dropped a whole squad of spider tanks there and there. Several large ketches filled the sky and smaller drop ships buzzed around like flies." Selene then pointed back to the old bunker. "At the time, that building was the last line of defense before the City walls. Those guns fired continuously for days, trying to keep the tanks from getting closer and landing shells inside the city."

"Where were you during all this?" Valentina asked. Selene sat on one of the large rocks that littered the canyon floor. "The Titans formed the bulk of the City's defenses and manned positions along the wall and in the bunker there. Warlocks stayed back in a support role and Hunters were used as scouts and saboteurs. Me and Nyx had been placed in a fireteam with an Exo Titan by the name of Hyperion-3. He was a good guy, experienced, had seen a lot of combat. Nyx and I were still young. The three of us worked pretty well together."

"So what happened?" Valentina asked. Selene stared down at her hands and Valentina wondered if she had asked the wrong thing. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad."

As if not hearing Valentina, Selene continued. "We were sent out on a scouting operation. The Vanguard wanted to know why the Fallen had suddenly pulled back. Were they retreating? Where they gearing up for another push? Anyway, we came upon the outskirts of the Fallen position and snuck past the guards. I had no idea Titans could be so quiet with all that armor. Anyway, Nyx and Hyperion went in and I was left on overwatch. They were gone for quite a while and I got bored just sitting there. I didn't see the Vandal on patrol until he tripped over me. There was a scuffle and I killed him, but not before he raised the alarm. I saw a Captain running through the camp, so I put a bullet through his skull." Selene put her hand next to her head and spread her fingers like an explosion. "That REALLY got everyone's attention."

Valentina stared in disbelief. "Did they make it out okay?" she asked. Selene shook her head. "Nyx was able to sneak out, but Hyperion stayed behind to give her cover. He was captured and killed, Ghost and all, by House Devil's Archon Priest. The next day, the Fallen surged forward and overran the Twilight Gap bunker. Luckily, Lord Shaxx' counterattack was successful and the Fallen were driven off."

Valentina let the story sink in. "But that's not your fault. Hyperion stayed behind so Nyx could get away right? He made that choice on his own."

Selene shook her head. "You don't understand. They never should have been in that position in the first place. I allowed myself to lose focus and as a result, a Titan died." Selene reached down to her thigh holster and handed Valentina her weapon. "Do you know what this is?"

Valentina stared at the hand cannon in her hands. It was beautiful. The grip was dark wood with a checkered pattern for grip. The frame and cylinder were dark black and the top of the frame was silver colored. The gun was surprisingly heavy. Valentina shook her head. "I don't think I've seen this particular gun before."

"That's The First Curse. It's the lesser-known companion of The Last Word, but this one is just a replica. The original is probably lost to time," Selene said. Valentina handed the gun back and Selene put it away. "I suppose you're wondering what this is all about?" Valentina thought for a moment and nodded her head.

Selene let out a breath before speaking. "Some would say that the first curse is when death becomes an afterthought. I tend to think this is true. Do you know why?"

"Because we're Guardians and can be resurrected?" Valentina asked. Selene nodded. "That's what I believe anyway. Death isn't the end anymore. It can be held back and ignored, time and time again. Eventually you lose sight of that and become complacent. You push in when you should pull back, needlessly putting yourself at risk. Lives become cheap currency and when your second death eventually happens, it catches you by surprise." Selene stood up and placed a hand on Valentina's shoulder. "You're still young and learning your place in the world. I'm not trying to frighten you, but I want you to realize that actions still have consequences, even for us." She patted the gun on her thigh. "This hand cannon is a reminder of that. I don't use it all that much, but I like to pull it out from time to time."

They stood together in silence, listening to the wind whisper through the trees. Finally Valentina asked, "Does the guilt ever go away?"

Selene shrugged. "For me, not really. I'll think about it from time to time and remind myself to be better and to keep walking down the path I have set for myself." She rubbed the top of Valentina's helmet. "And to look out for little Warlocks who ask too many questions."

Valentina brushed Selene's hand away and Selene chuckled to herself. "So I wanted to ask you what being a Sunsinger had to do with not becoming a great and powerful Warlock like Ikora?"

"Well for one, Ikora used to be a terror in the Crucible," Valentina said. "And she has this certain intensity and gravitas about her that either makes you fear her or want to do what she says."

"Uh-huh," Selene replied, sitting down on the rock again. "And you don't think that could be you?" Valentina shook her head. "I'm not a very intimidating person."

"Not all Warlocks are intimidating or have that great presence about them," Selene said.

"Really? Name a famous Warlock that wasn't crazy, outlandish, or downright scary," Valentina said.

"And the reason those particular Warlocks are famous is because they were those things," Selene said. "You can still be a great and powerful Warlock where nobody knows your name." Valentina shrugged and looked away. Selene stared at her for a moment and asked, "How are your Arc and Void abilities coming along?"

"I've started working on my Arc Stormcaller," Valentina said. "It's different than channeling Solar energy, but I think I'll get the hang of it eventually."

"And your Voidwalker?" Selene asked. Valentina shook her head. "I don't know if I'll ever touch the Void."

"Why not?" Selene asked.

"It just _feels_ wrong, like touching the Darkness," Valentina said. "How do you do it? How do you embrace the Void and not fall to Darkness?"

"Well for one, Void and Darkness are two completely different things," Selene said. "And I think that's part of your problem right there."

"What is?" Valentina asked, clearly confused.

"An old Nightstalker Hunter by the name of Tevis Larsen used to say that the key to the Void was showing no fear. And you can't. Void energy is as fundamental to the Light as Solar and Arc. And since Void is a part of the Light, and Light opposes Darkness, how can the Void be from the Darkness?" Selene asked.

"I understand what you're saying, but it just feels so different and alien," Valentina said.

"I agree. Void is often associated with gravity and darkness, which makes sense, just as Solar is to fire and light, and Arc is to electricity. Think of it like a prism. What happens when you shine light through a prism?" Selene asked.

"It becomes a rainbow," Valentina replied.

"Exactly. And when you send the rainbow through another prism, it becomes white light again," Selene said. "Void, Arc and Solar are just Light separated by a prism." Selene sighed. "Hunters are pretty dumb when it comes to this kind of thing. To me anyway, the Void is just another tool the Light gives us to fight back against our enemies." She held out her hand and ball of swirling purple energy appeared. "But the thing you were saying about the Void changing you is true. It can be quite seductive, whispering in your ear, promising great power, telling you what it hungers for. It feels like little fingers of shadow, spreading through your body like an evening chill. It's like that old saying, 'When you stare into the Abyss, the Abyss stares back into you.'" Selene held the Void ball up in her fingers. "Think of it like this. You're an Awoken right?" Valentina nodded. "And the Awoken ride that fine line between the Light the Dark, or so I've heard. But you're not OF the Darkness right?"

"No," Valentina replied.

"And so is the Void, that knife edge between Light and Darkness," Selene said. "The universe is vast and filled with strange and amazing things, but it's mostly empty. That's what the Void is, the space between stars, the stuff you don't see." The Void energy dissipated and Selene dropped her arms. "It's like anything else. It takes a lot of time to study and master. I believe that all Guardians have a certain affinity for one element or another, but they can master all three."

"But why did you decide on the Void?" Valentina asked. Selene shrugged. "Curiosity mangled the Hunter. I saw Voidwalkers do crazy things and I'd heard stories of the rare Nightstalkers, so I figured why not me?"

"Are you sure you weren't supposed to be a Warlock?" Valentina asked. "Because that's a very Warlock thing to say."

"Nah. I'm a Hunter through and through," Selene said with a wave. "I don't really care for the 'how' or the 'why' of things. I did it because it sounded like a challenge and I wanted to see if I could do it. So did."

Valentina stared at Selene. "That's it? You saw it as a challenge?"

"Yep. Pretty much," Selene replied, nodding her head. "Granted there are other Hunters who are probably better Nightstalkers than me, but what do I care? It gets the job done and at the end of the day, that's what really matters."

"How has exposure to the Void changed you?" Valentina asked. "Do you feel like a different person?"

Selene thought for a moment. "That's more difficult to answer. For me, it's hard to look back and say for certain. I think my experiences, more than channeling the Void, have a large part in how I am right now. But that's true for everyone. You aren't the same person you were yesterday, a month ago, a year ago, even a hundred years ago. That's a sign of your growth as a person." She shook her head. "Toland used to say that it's hard to try and explain the Void to someone who has never walked in the Void. And he was a Warlock. If he couldn't do it, what hope do I have?" Selene sighed and gave a shrug. "I know I'm not being much help right now, but the only advice I can give is to experience it yourself. And if you really want help, ask Ikora. She's there for a reason."

"I suppose," Valentina said. Selene stood up and stretched. "I guess we should get back so I can tell Cayde and the others about my terrible ideas."

"I wouldn't say terrible, more like impractical," Valentina said. Selene flicked Valentina in the faceplate with her finger. "I get enough of that from Ghost. I don't need it from you."

"But if more than one person says it, it must be true right?" Ghost piped up.

"Quiet you!" Selene said irritably. She started walking back to the City while arguing with her Ghost, leaving Valentina alone. Suddenly, the forest didn't feel so inviting and Valentina shivered. "Is everything okay?" Valkyrie asked.

"I'm fine," Valentina replied and rubbed her arms. Perhaps she was simply spooked from talking about the Void with Selene. She shook her head. Hunters really were amazing. Most never stopped to think about the miracle that the Traveler had bestowed upon them. They just went out and did things, then acted like it was no big deal. Kill a Hive god? Pfft, whatever. Fight a Vex who could erase entire timelines? Ho-hum, another day at the office. Valentina realized maybe that's what she needed, less thinking and more doing. "Valkyrie, we don't have anything planned for today do we?" she asked.

"Not that I'm aware of," Valkyrie replied. Valentina nodded. "Okay. We're going to do some training."

"Where?" Valkyrie asked.

"I have heard that some Warlocks have visited Io. That was the last place the Traveler visited before the Collapse, so some see it as a pilgrimage or rite of passage. The moon itself contains vast deposits of pure Light energy," Valentina explained.

"Isn't that place overrun by the Vex?" Valkyrie asked.

"It should be okay," Valentina said. "From what I've heard, the Vex haven't been as active as they are on Mars or Venus."

"I'd still feel better if you didn't go alone," Valkyrie said.

"What about Saoirse? She should be finished with her duty today," Valentina suggested.

"I was thinking more like Selene," Valkyrie said. "At least she would understand the gravitas for what you're trying to do." Valentina shook her head. "I think I've bothered Selene enough for one day."

"Still feeling guilty about that thing on Mars?" Valkyrie asked quietly. Valentina said nothing in reply. "Right! Okay then! I shall call Saoirse and ask for her assistance!" Valkyrie said with forced enthusiasm. Valentina sighed. Selene was right. What happened was her fault and she should learn from her mistakes. She vowed to get better and to keep trying.

"Good news, Saoirse is available and she had the next few days off. Not quite so good news is those Spartan guys want to tag along," Valkyrie said. Valentina sighed and put her head in her hands. "It's fine. The more the merrier I guess."

"So. How are we going to do this?" Saoirse asked some time later. "Amanda still has Selene's ship in impound and it's the only one big enough to fit us all." Valentina had gone back to the Tower to meet with Saoirse and plan out their journey.

"None of my ships will carry more than one person," Valentina said, looking at the ships in her inventory.

"Hmm. Me either," Saoirse said. "Let's go visit Amanda and see what she can do for us." Saoirse took off, skipping through the tower and singing in a silly voice, "Amanda! Where are you? I have a question for you!"

"Are you sure she's not brain damaged in some way?" Allen asked.

"Saoirse tends to be pretty open about her feelings," Valentina said. "If she likes something, she'll tell you. If she doesn't, you'll certainly know."

"Hmm. I've noticed that about her," Steve replied. "Apart from the fact she holds a grudge like no one else, she's quite fun to hang out with."

"What about you? You seem pretty quiet," Aurora asked and Valentina shook her head. "If anything, Selene is the quiet one, Saoirse is the loud one, and I'm the shy one."

"How is that different than being quiet?" Steve asked.

"Selene is quiet because she's trying to decide if she likes you or just wants to kill you. I'm the shy one because I keep to myself and don't really talk to people," Valentina said.

"Oh. Well when you put it that way it makes sense," Allen said. Soon they arrived in the hangar and heard Saoirse arguing with Amanda. "C'mon Amanda! We need to borrow a ship to fly off and have an adventure! Neither of us has a ship big enough!" Saoirse complained.

"Sorry, no can do," Amanda replied stubbornly. "You'll just have to use the ships you already got." While they were arguing, Valentina logged into the blueprints computer and started browsing. "What about this one?" she asked. Amanda looked over her shoulder and read the screen. "Looks like that ship was found by Selene, but she never claimed it. I guess you can have it," she said. Saoirse pumped her fist in excitement. "Oh yeah!"

"If you don't mind me askin', where ya headin'?" Amanda asked.

"Valentina wants to make a trip and we're going as bodyguards," Saoirse blurted.

"Shh!" Valentina tried to shush Saoirse and her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh? And where might you be headin'?" Amanda asked suspiciously.

"Um, out there to study the Void?" Valentina suggested and waved her hand vaguely through the air. "It's a journey filled with mysticism and spirituality while I try to find myself and unlock the mysteries of the universe." Amanda raised an eyebrow like she was unconvinced. "Official Warlock business then?" Valentina asked hopefully.

Amanda held out her hands. "I'll need to see your endorsement from Ikora then," she said.

Valentina sighed and slumped over. Amanda smirked and gave her a pat on the back. "I'm just teasin'. But seriously, be careful out there. I hear things are starting to get interesting on Io."

Valentina jumped up in shock. "What did you say?"

"Hmm? I didn't say anythin'," Amanda said with a wink. "Gimme a minute to take care of this and yer ship will be waitin'." The five of them all stood around and waited. Before long, a ship entered from the hangar. It looked very similar to Selene's ship, but this one was painted dark blue with neon green accents. "What's with that? That's not conspicuous at all!" Saoirse shouted.

"But at least we'll be going in style!" Steve offered. Amanda gave them the access codes and they stepped on board. Saoirse and Valentina put their information in the ship's memory so it would recognize them. "Okay. Yer ready to go. Enjoy yer new ship, High and Flighty. Happy trails!" Amanda gave them a wave and went back to her little office. Valentina took the controls and the others strapped in for the journey.

Valentina didn't say much during the trip, leaving Saoirse to wonder what was going on. In reality, Valentina was very nervous and didn't know what to expect. This was the first time she had really been away from the Tower on her own. She wasn't really alone this time, but that's not the point. Technically she was in charge of this little operation and when she thought of that, it scared her a little. Her stomach was doing flip-flops in her chest and her hands were shaking. Valentina didn't know whether to be excited or scared. Probably both.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Valkyrie asked. She gently nudged Valentina's check.

"I don't know," Valentina replied nervously. "I've never been this jumpy before."

"Probably because all the other times Selene or Saoirse are the ones leading the charge and you just have to do what they say," Valkyrie offered. "I understand why you're feeling this way, especially after what Selene said."

"I just…I don't know. What if something bad happens and it's my fault?" Valentina said.

"That's why Saoirse is here," Valkyrie said. "She's got your back." Valentina nodded nervously and turned her attention back to flying the ship. A few minutes later, the ship slowed and entered orbit around Io. Saoirse looked out the window and whistled. "Never been here before. Are you sure we're not going to get in trouble for this,"

"Nope," Valentina replied and steered toward the surface. The moon of Jupiter was covered in tall mountains and volcanoes that spewed noxious gasses high into the atmosphere. "Um, this is cool and all but why are we here?" Steve asked.

"This moon is the last place the Traveler was active before the Collapse happened and the Traveler fled to Earth," Valentina explained. "It was terraforming the moon to suit human needs."

"Oh. That's cool I guess," Steve replied. "So it's like a holy site or something?"

"I guess you could say that," Valentina replied. "It's common for Guardians, especially Warlocks, to come here to meditate and study the Traveler's effect on planets. It's believed that Io contains a vast concentration of pure Light energy below its surface."

"Y'all treat this thing like it's some kind of god," Allen said. Valentina shrugged. "Perhaps it is."

Valentina piloted the ship to a set of coordinates at Echo Mesa. The ship hovered over a butte and they disembarked. As soon as she stepped foot on the rocky soil, Valentina was nearly overcome by a heavy pressure weighing down on her spirit and she stumbled. Saoirse quickly reached out to catch her. "What's going on? You feeling okay?" she asked. Valentina took a breath and nodded. Saoirse watched as the ship flew back into orbit. "Okay, now what Fearless Leader?" she asked.

Valentina closed her eyes and concentrated. The feeling of pressure eased and she felt a vibrating sensation deep in her bones. The melodies in her head grew quiet and was replaced by a low frequency buzzing sound, just below the range of human hearing. It was almost like the ringing sound of tinnitus

Allen walked to the edge and whistled. "I've seen a lot of things, but never anything like that," he said and pointed. They stood at the edge of a crater hundreds of feet above the ground. The crater itself was miles across and the edges were smooth, like someone had taken a giant ice cream scoop and dug out a portion of the ground. The floor of the crater had a series of raised ridges that resembled ripples. In the center of the crater was a collection of raised stone pillars tightly packed in a circle. The tops of these stones were also scooped out, like a large sphere had sat there. What purpose they served, no one knew. "That's where the Traveler was," Valentina pointed.

"And that's where you want to go?" Saoirse asked. Valentina nodded.

Steve looked around. "So if you want to go down there, why are we all the way up here?" he asked.

"You said yourself this place is like a holy place. You don't just drop in through the ceiling," Valentina said.

Steve shrugged. "Whatever. Religions are weird."

Allen looked over the edge. "How are you planning to get down anyway? That's a pretty long jump."

Valentina stared at the circle of stones. Something was pulling at her. "Don't worry. I'll be fine,' she said. "I think you all need to wait here."

"What? I am doing no such thing!" Saoirse said. "You brought us here and we are going with you."

"Okay then. Do as you will," Valentina said. She walked back from the edge, took a running start and leapt out into thin air. Allen, Steve, and Aurora all watched with mouths open as Valentina disappeared over the edge. "Is she crazy?" Aurora shouted.

"No, but that was pretty ballsy," Saoirse said with admiration. "She's a Warlock. She'll just floof her way to the bottom, no problem." She turned to the Spartans. "The bigger issue is, what to do with you three?"

Valentina used her Glide sparingly and landed at the bottom of the crater with little effort. She was still a ways away, so she had Valkyrie materialize her sparrow and she sped off. In the distance Valentina saw a series of stone formations that looked like an entryway, so she headed that direction. When she arrived, Valentina jumped off her sparrow and looked up. The vibrating sensation had increased and she felt like she was being massaged inside out. The deep humming sound had also increased and was now audible at the lower range of her hearing.

"Are you sure about this?" Valkyrie asked.

"No," Valentina replied and blew out a shaky breath. "But we're here now so let's go." With growing false confidence, Valentina stepped through the entryway and walked further in. The stone pillars rose high above her head. As went further in, the deep humming sound began to pulse and took on a resonant tone.

As she walked, the pillars became shorter until she came to the opening in the center. Circular patterns were cut into the ground that had a luminescent quality. In the center was an aura of light. Carefully, Valentina walked up and knelt next to it. The light was producing a high pitched ringing sound that complemented the low bass notes she was hearing in her head. Valentina closed her eyes and opened herself to the Light.

Immediately she was bombarded with colors and a falling sensation that gave her vertigo and put her stomach in her throat. She saw visions of Arc, Solar, and Void energy clashing together and producing sparks of Light. Valentina found herself surrounded by the three different elemental energies. Each had a different feel. Solar was warm and inviting, but had a layer of ferocity under the surface. Arc was wild and chaotic, not to be controlled but channeled, with Valentina as the conduit. Void was dark and mysterious. It whispered to her, secrets of the dark and promised great power, but sent an uneasy chill through her body. Remembering what Selene had said, Valentina pushed her fear aside and reached out to the Void.

As soon as her fingers touched the Void, she was whisked away, leaving Solar and Arc far behind. Dark purple energy swirled around her and streaks of light flew past, giving the sensation of traveling at high speed. Valentina could barely take it all in. This was all quite baffling to her.

The streaks of light slowed and became points of light like stars. Valentina floated in the darkness, but realized this wasn't the same as The Darkness. Streams of purple vapor appeared and coalesced into a ball in front of her. At the center was a bright purple light with clouds of energy surrounding it. Valentina reached for it and her hands became cold and numb. It seemed to be staring at her, like an unblinking eye. It was quite unnerving.

It spoke to her, not so much words, but feeling and intent. It was hungry and wanted to devour and suck the life out of her enemies. Valentina was both horrified and fascinated. She had seen what Voidwalkers could do. She wondered what it would be like to be able to control that kind of power.

A white spark of energy appeared on her chest and was drawn to the Void she held in her hands. The two energies touched and Valentina felt the cold numbness spread over her entire body, causing her to involuntarily shiver. The Void she held in her hands disappeared and was replaced by her own Light. It changed color until it was glowing bright purple. A power she had never felt before surged through her body and made her feel strong and powerful. As if agreeing, the darkness around her began to collapse in on itself. There was a sudden explosion of light and Valentina found herself back on Io where she had been.

"Valentina? Thank goodness you're back!" Valkyrie sighed with relief. "I noticed a surge of Light energy and then I couldn't sense you anymore. I could see you sitting there, but it's like you weren't there, just a projection or hologram."

Valentina looked down and unclenched her fists. Traces of purple energy swirled around her arms. Valkyrie floated warily around Valentina. "So what happened?"

"I am not so sure myself," Valentina replied. "I think I touched the Light and became one with the Void."

"So did you do what we came here to do?" Valkyrie asked.

"I think so. But now I have even more questions," Valentina replied. "I don't know much about the Void because it always unnerved me. But I can see the appeal."

"Selene said it was also dangerous," Valkyrie warned, but Valentina waved her off. "I just need to get used to using this new power," she said.

"Okay, if you say so," Valkyrie replied. She looked back to the top of the cliffs. "I wonder what the others are up to?"

Valentina rose to her feet and brushed the dirt off her robes. "I suppose we should find out before Ikora blames me for breaking something important." She turned and headed back the way she had come through the pillars.


	10. Session 9: Saoirse

**SAOIRSE:** As much as I hate to admit it, we stood around like a bunch of morons after Valentina jumped over the edge. We didn't have any climbing gear and I didn't think it would be a good idea for those three to take the risk by jumping over the edge, but they were all for it. We never made it that far.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So what happened instead?

 **SAOIRSE:** A timely interruption.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Meaning what exactly?

 **SAOIRSE:** A platoon of Vex teleported to our location. They were probably drawn to whatever Valentina was doing down below. I still don't exactly know what she was doing.

 **INTERVIEWER:** The Vex? I think someone has mentioned them before.

 **SAOIRSE:** Probably in those after action reports you claim to have read.

 **INTERVIEWER:** In any case, what can you tell us about the Vex?

 **SAOIRSE:** Sure. Metal robots that like to turn things into machinery and have a penchant for screwing around with timelines.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Like time travel?

 **SAORISE:** Sure. I guess. I don't know the specifics of how the Vex do all the time travel stuff, but basically they come from _somewhere_ to do _something._ The Vex showed up right around the time of the Collapse, like the rest of our enemies did because why not? Anyway, the Vex transformed Mercury into a machine and it was discovered they have important bases on Venus and Mars.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So if these 'Vex' can travel through time at will, what's preventing them from going to a point in your history before you made contact with the Traveler?

 **SAOIRSE:** How the hell should I know? People a lot smarter than me get paid to do all that big brain, 'what if' and 'why not' stuff. Me? I just go places to shoot stuff and punch things in the face. That's what I'm good at.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I see. Perhaps one of the others will have a better explanation.

 **SAOIRSE:** Whatever. Doesn't hurt my feelings. So anyway, these Vex showed up and started shooting at us. So we killed them back.

* * *

Clouds of mist appeared and crackled with electricity. "Um, what is this?" Aurora asked, slightly concerned and raised her weapon.

"That? Oh. We're about to have company," Saoirse replied and readied her weapon. Multiple bronze colored robots appeared in flashes of light. They all had wide, fan shaped heads with a single red eye, long gangly limbs and short bodies with a glowing white core. They started stalking toward the group and opened fire with their automatic energy weapons.

"These are Vex!" Saoirse shouted over the din. "They're a bunch of crazy murder bots. Don't aim for the head!" As soon as she said that, Steve sent a burst into the head of the nearest Vex. The head exploded and the rest of the body charged forward, firing wildly like a berserker. "Next time, say that BEFORE I shoot it in the head!" Steve shouted as he poured bullets into the crazed robot. Finally, it fell to pieces.

"Piss off!" Saoirse shouted back. "Is that your first instinct, to shoot everything in the head?"

"That's generally where the weak spot is," Allen replied, killing another Vex.

"Well these are different. Aim for the glowing spot on the chest," Saoirse said. She fired a burst into the white spot of the nearest Vex and it exploded.

"Ew, what is that stuff?" Allen asked. Saoirse shrugged. "Vex brain fluid? If you really wanna know, kill these little bastards first." Armed with the knowledge of the Vex weakness, the rest of the robots were quickly taken care of.

"Okay, listen up before the next wave hits," Saoirse said.

"There's going to be more?" Aurora sasked.

"Yes! There's always more! Now shut up so I can explain," Saoirse replied irritably. "These Vex are Goblins. Kinda slow, easy to kill, but will swarm you in an instant if you're not careful since they can teleport around. Hobgoblins are like normal Goblins, but they have freaking sniper lasers or grenade launchers. If you hit it but don't kill it, it will surround itself in a bubble of energy and repair the damage. When that happens, it's invulnerable so you can't shoot it. Wait for it to get done, then kill it." At that moment, More Vex appeared, this time a mix of Goblins and Hobgoblins. Like Saoirse said, the Hobgoblins stayed in the back and took shots from a distance. Growling with frustration, Saoirse charged the Hobgoblins and killed them at close range.

Allen sighed. "Those guys were annoying."

"But they explode pretty spectacularly when you shoot them in the juice box," Saoirse said.

"Juice box?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Saoirse replied and tapped herself in the chest. "That white spot filled with brain fluid. At least I think it's brain fluid."

Another cloud of energy appeared, bringing a different type of Vex: a large one that looked like a beefed-up Goblin, and three triangle-shaped ones that floated about. Saoirse gritted her teeth. "Goddamn Harpies!"

"These don't have a juice box!" Aurora said as she ducked for cover. The Harpy that had been chasing her opened its sides like a flower and started shooting. "Just shoot those in the eye! Leave the Minotaur to me!" Saoirse called out. She turned her attention to the Minotaur and swapped her auto rifle for her shotgun. "Come and dance you son of a bitch!"

Allen, Steve, and Aurora finished with the Harpies and turned to watch as Saoirse charged forward. The Minotaur ran forward to meet her and slammed its arm down on the ground. At the last minute, Saoirse dodged to the side, ducked under the Minotaur's counter attack, and shot it point-blank. The Minotaur's purple energy shield flared, then sparked out. With a mighty shout, Saoirse charged her fist with Arc energy and punched the Minotaur in the juice box with all her might. The Minotaur staggered back as Arc energy raced over its metal frame. Saoirse emptied the magazine of her shotgun into the Minotaur until it was a ruined mess of metal and white fluid. Breathing heavily, Saoirse angrily reloaded her shotgun and slung it over her back. "If we're lucky, that was the last of them."

"And if not?" Allen asked.

"I'm gonna be pissed," Saoirse growled. Sure enough, another cloud of energy appeared, but this one was much larger than the last. A brand new type of Vex appeared. This one had a large, fan shaped head like the Goblins, but this one was much bigger. On the outer edge of its large head were energy weapons that shot large projectiles with a high rate of fire. The head sat on a long torso with three sections that sort of resembled a spine. Each of the sections also had a weapon. Three energy shields rotated around its body. It turned to them and started firing.

Saoirse was furious. "GODDAMN IT VAL! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" she screamed. Allen, Steve and Aurora scattered, each shooting at the large Vex but their bullets ricocheted off the shields. "How do you kill this thing?" Allen asked.

"Like this!" Saoirse shouted. She hunched over and focused her Light. Electricity began to build up around her body as she gathered more and more energy. The others shot at the Vex, drawing its attention away from Saoirse. When her body started to glow, Saoirse charged forward with a yell. The Vex turned toward her and began shooting. Saoirse leapt high in the air, trailing sparks of electricity. At the apex of her jump, she shot forth like a cannonball. She hit the top of the Vex and released all of her pent-up Arc energy in a huge explosion. The Vex was heavily damaged and Saoirse held on to a piece of its head and focused the remaining Arc energy around her fist and punched through the thick armor plating. Saoirse pulled out her shotgun and began blasting away in the hole she had made.

The eye of the Vex began to blink, then died out. The large body collapsed to the ground and started to glow from within. Saoirse jumped clear as the Vex exploded, showering the area with bits of metal. Saoirse stormed over to the blackened husk and stomped on it for good measure.

Allen and Steve stared at each other. "So. What was that thing?" Allen asked.

"A Hydra," Saoirse replied, breathing heavy. "One of the bigger and badder types of Vex. The most frustrating thing about them is the shields that rotate around the body. They're completely immune to all kinds of damage. The only way to kill Hydras is to shoot through the openings."

"Ah. So now what?" Steve asked. They all stood around and stared at each other. "I guess we're right back where we started," Saoirse finally said. Just then, she felt a surge of Light energy and stumbled forward. Steve reached out to catch her. "Whoa. You okay?" he asked.

Saoirse pushed him away and shook her head. "Yeah. I felt a surge of Light and it made me a bit woozy."

"Is that a common occurrence?" Aurora asked.

"Not really," Saoirse admitted. "Probably has something to do with what Valentina said about this place bursting at the seams with Light."

"As far as I know, we don't have anything like that where we come from," Allen said. "However, we DO have our own special tricks and doodads. Mostly that Forerunner stuff I heard about."

"Forerunner? What's that?" Saoirse asked.

"Apparently a long time ago, like really, REALLY, long ago, there was a super advanced civilization we call the Forerunners," Allen said. "Nobody knows where they came from or what happened to them, but they left behind a lot of strange and interesting technology that we are just now starting to discover."

"Wow. Interesting," Saoirse said. She sat on a rock and asked, "So you all are super soldiers right? What's the most bad-ass thing you've ever done?"

Allen and Steve looked at each other. "That time I punched out a Brute was pretty bad-ass," Steve said.

"Only 'cause you ran out of ammo and he still almost killed you," Allen retorted.

"Hey! 'Almost' only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atom bombs," Steve replied.

"I suppose. Any ass-kicking you walk away from is still an ass-kicking," Allen replied.

"Oh yeah? What about you?" Steve asked. Allen shrugged. "I dunno. I don't really keep track of that kind of stuff."

Aurora piped up. "I don't know about bad-ass, but I'm pretty sure the worst day of my life was when I ran into you two."

"Oh I see, Miss Debbie Downer," Steve said. "You're just mad because nobody likes you."

"Now that's harsh," Allen said. Aurora said nothing and started to sulk. "I think you hurt her feelings," Isis added.

"And just when we were starting to tolerate each other too," Allen said, shaking his head. "You're a real jerk, ya know?"

"Doesn't bother me none," Steve replied with a shrug.

"The most bad-ass think I've ever done was that time I rescued you from turning into plasma goo," Isis said.

"Hey you're right. That was pretty awesome," Allen said.

"Wait. What happened?" Saoirse asked.

"So we were on this mission to an ice ball planet because the array station was broken. Anyway, we fixed the problem and got the station on-line when we found out the Covenant were digging around on the planet. Naturally we went to investigate," Allen said.

"So we found these ruins in this big cavern made of ice. And happened to find the entire Covenant army," Steve said. "So we killed them all because they started it."

"Anyway, they were all dead and stuff when suddenly, this HUGE Covenant ship in orbit shot this massive plasma beam down at us," Allen said. "All the ice cracked and melted and stuff and when it was over, we were now in a giant crater."

"And then I remote piloted the ship and picked them up, saving their lives," Isis said. "The end."

"And then we ended up on another abandoned planet with zombies and robots and stuff. Then we blew up that weird Hive thing and came here. The end," Allen added.

"Wow. That's pretty impressive," Saoirse admitted. "So you all have known each other for a long time then?" she asked and pointed to Allen and Steve.

"Yep. Ever since we were kidnapped together as little kids," Steve said.

"And then we had weird sciency stuff happen, and here we are. Ta-da!" Allen added, putting his hands out and turning in a circle.

"Oh yeah? That's cool I guess," Saoirse said. "I died once. And then I was brought back to life by this little troublemaker." She held out her hand and Musashi appeared. "I'm not a troublemaker," he said in a quiet voice.

"I know," Saoirse replied and poked him with her finger. "That sounds way better than saying you found me buried in a pile of rubble."

"Wait. What?" Allen asked.

"Yeah. I think a building fell on me or something," Saoirse said. "Not like that's the first time it ever happened."

"You had a BUILDING fall on you?" Aurora asked incredulously. "How many times has that happened?"

Saoirse looked up as she thought. "I dunno. Three or four?"

"What were you even doing?" Allen asked.

"Well there was this one time Valentina wanted to go poke around this building in Los Angeles," Saoirse said. "It was this big, round building that looked like a stack of those old vinyl records. You know what those are? They were these big, plastic plate looking things that people used to record and listen to music. That's not important. Anyway, this building used to be a recording studio or something, and Valentina wanted to see if there were any old music recordings since she's into that sort of thing. Long story short, the Fallen find us, there's a big fight, the building gets damaged and it falls on me. Splat." Saoirse clapped her hands together to emphasize her point.

"Wow. That's hard core," Steve said. "I don't know that I've ever had a whole building fall on me."

"Well you can get away with something like that because of your Ghost or whatever," Allen said and pointed at Musashi. "He can just bring you back to life."

"Sure, but it's not like I don't need to be careful," Saoirse said. "I'm sure you can agree, but the worst thing is going down in a fight and leaving your friends vulnerable. Now they have to pick up your slack and it throws everything off. Whole fireteams have been wiped out because someone died at the wrong time."

Allen and Steve nodded. "I can agree with that," Allen said. Saoirse turned and looked out to the circular stone formation down in the crater. "What the hell is Valentina doing down there?"

"How did you all meet anyway?" Aurora asked.

"I met Valentina through Selene," Saoirse said. "I knew Selene a little bit from before. She called me up one day, asking if I was busy. She was helping out Valentina with a project. Actually, that time the building fell on me was our first 'adventure' together."

"Wow. Strange way to make friends," Allen said. "Hi, how are you, and BUILDING TO THE FACE!" He smacked the palm of his hand with his fist. Saoirse shrugged. "After that, we kinda fell in with each other."

"So are you guys pretty close then?" Steve asked. Saoirse shook her head. "Not really. We pretty much do our own thing and if we need help, call the others. If they can help, great. If not, whatever."

Aurora noticed a plume of dust in the crater and pulled out her binoculars to investigate. "Hey. I think Valentina's on her way back."

"Oh yeah?" Saoirse said and turned back to the crater. "Where at?"

Aurora pointed and said, "There. That plume of dust. Something is traveling at high speed."

"Probably Valentina on her sparrow then," Saoirse replied and rose to her feet. "Let's go meet her, shall we?" They walked to the edge of the crater and Allen, Steve and Aurora half jumped, half fell to the bottom and Saoirse used her Titan Lift capability to coast to the bottom.

Valentina slowed to a stop when she drew close and hopped off her sparrow. "What are you all doing down here?" she asked.

"Hey! What's the matter with you?" Saoirse asked and stalked toward Valentina. "Do you have any idea what we've just been through?"

Valentina shied away from the bigger woman. "Um, no?" she asked hesitantly.

Saoirse gave her a light tap on the helmet. "While you were off doing who knows what, we had to fight an entire army of Vex! And it's probably your fault!"

"How is that my fault?" Valentina asked.

"Because you were the one off playing with the Light and getting' everybody curious what you were doing!" Saoirse waved her arms around dramatically. "There was a Hydra and everything! We almost died!"

"Um, no we didn't," Allen said.

Saoirse turned on Allen and said, "Shut it! I ain't talking to you." She looked back to Valentina and put her hands on her hips. "Did you at least get what you wanted?"

Valentina looked down at her hands. Wisps of Void energy circled around. She clenched her fists and said, "I think so."

Saoirse softened and said, "Good. I'd hate to think this trip was for nothing."

"So you're not mad?" Valentina asked.

"Nah, I'm not mad. More annoyed than anything," Saoirse said. "'Come with me to Io!' she said. 'It will be fun!' she said," she added with dramatic flair. "In all reality, whatever you were doing probably attracted the Vex."

Valentina nodded. "I suppose we should head back now." Saoirse summoned their ship and they all jumped onboard. Saoirse took the controls and Valentina sat in the back with the others. They sat in awkward silence until Aurora said, "Saoirse said a building fell on her when you first met. Is that true?"

Valentina stared at Aurora and nodded. "Yes. To tell you the truth, the building kinda fell on all of us, but Saoirse definitely had the worst of it."

"How's that? I'd think having a building fall on you would be bad all around," Steve said.

"True, but Saoirse was in the lobby and I was on the upper floors. Selene was on the roof, and when the building started to fall, she jumped clear," Valentina said.

"So Selene got away and let you all take the worst of it? Some friend she is," Allen muttered, but Valentina shook her head. "It's not like that. What would you expect Selene to do? Ride the building all the way down?"

"That's what I would have done," Steve said. "That would be so badass."

"True but it also makes you a fool. Why needlessly put yourself at risk?" Valentina asked.

"But you're pretty much immortal. Dying is a regular occurrence for you all right? What's the big deal?" Allen asked.

Valentina glared at him. "Death is not something to be taken lightly. There is always a price and sooner or later the debt will be paid." Valentina stared down at her hands. "That is what Selene said to me."

After another bout of awkward silence, Aurora tried again. "How did you and Selene first meet?"

Valentina sighed. "I was still a new Guardian and I was tasked with traveling around to old Earth cities to gather resources. My travels took me to an old Cosmodrome in Russia, since that was a common place to find things. I located a patrol beacon and began my task. I encountered a small Fallen patrol looting a downed jumpship. They attacked and I fought back. I killed the Dregs and I turned to face the Vandal, who had its weapon raised and was about to shoot me, when its head exploded. The body dropped to the ground. I think that scared me more than the actual fighting did. I looked around and didn't see anything, but I noticed sunlight glinting off of something in the distance."

Allen leaned over to Steve. "I bet I know where this is going,"

"You're on," Steve whispered back. Valentina continued. "I was doing okay when my motion tracker went off and I ventured down into an old bunker. A small group of Fallen surprised me and I managed to defeat them all, but I suffered some minor injuries. I didn't think anything of it and my curiosity got the better of me, so I traveled further in. None of the lights down in the lower level were working, so Valkyrie acted as a flashlight."

"Quite the handy little thing there," Allen said.

"Yes, now don't interrupt please," Valentina said. "I went further down the tunnel and I heard a scratching sound to the left and inside a little room. I peeked in and was attacked by a Hive Knight and some Acolytes. They just, jumped out and scared me pretty bad."

"I can imagine," Steve said.

Valentina fidgeted in her seat. "I panicked. It was dark, in a small room, I was being chased by scary aliens, and my earlier injuries were slowing me down. Have you ever seen a Hive Knight up close? They can be pretty terrifying. I had no sense of direction and got lost in the room. I thought I was going to die. Somehow, I managed to kill one of the Acolytes, but the Knight hit me with its big sword and I was hurt even more. Before the Knight could end me for good, there was a loud SWOOSH sound and a flash of purple light. A purple orb appeared and tethers of dark light latched out and grabbed the remaining Hive, immobilizing them. Then a wall of purple flame appeared, and gunshots echoed loudly in the small room. The Hive collapsed into piles of dust, the flames died out, and the purple tethers disappeared. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't dead."

"So what was Selene's excuse for following you?" Allen asked. Valentina looked up at him for a moment and sighed. "It seems that she knew that particular spot was where Hive tended to patrol. If you haven't guessed, the Hive stick to dark places."

"So she followed you down there on a whim? Sounds kinda fishy to me," Steve said.

"Think what you will. Selene is a Hunter and Hunters rarely give a reason or excuse for anything they do," Valentina said with a shrug. "She happened to be in the same area as me and was the one who shot the Vandal that tried to kill me."

"I told you," Allen said to Steve.

"So what then? She saved your life and that was it? You became besties after that?" Steve asked.

"Selene helped me finish my task and gave me some advice. When I encountered enemies, she let me fight them by myself and barely stepped in."

"Wait. How does that make sense? First she saves you, then lets you fight by yourself?" Allen asked. "If it were me, I'd be pissed."

"Perhaps, but it was better that way. It taught me how to fight for myself and forced me to get better. If things started to get out of hand, Selene stepped in, but she stayed back and showed me what to do," Valentina said. "I was grateful. Hardly anyone was willing to do that for me."

"Probably because you were new and nobody likes the FNG," Steve said.

Valentina frowned. "FNG? What does that mean?"

"It means 'F-king New Guy,'" Saoirse called out from the cockpit. "Are they giving you a hard time? I haven't met my daily quota for handing out ass whoopings and there's still daylight left."

"Is that a threat?" Steve asked.

"Wanna find out Tin Soldier?" Saoirse shot back.

"Time and place, sweetheart," Steve replied and rubbed his hands together.

"Once we get back to the Tower. You know the place," Saoirse said. She piloted the ship back to the Hangar. As soon as they landed, Saoirse and Steve ran out of the ship, blowing past Amanda Holliday in the process and took off through the hangar. "What was that all about?" Amanda asked.

"It's a thing between them," Allen said with a shrug.

"Like a sexy thing, or…" Amanda trailed off.

"Heh. If only," Allen replied. "They're going off to fight. I'll be the first to admit Saoirse is an excellent fighter, but we Spartans are genetically modified to be superior in every way. The only way to make it fair is if they wear armor and Saoirse doesn't use any of her powers."

"It's quite embarrassing actually," Aurora said with a sigh. "She won't stop and won't give up. I don't think I've ever met a more stubborn person."

"That does sound like Saoirse," Valentina said. She turned to Amanda and said, "Please forgive their behavior."

"Nah, it's fine," Amanda said with a wave. "I just dropped by to make sure you didn't have any problems with the ship."

Valentina shook her head. "No. No problems." They said goodbye to Amanda and set out through the Tower. Allen led them to an unused section of the Tower where a makeshift gym had been set up. A small ring had been roped off and Saoirse and Steve were going at it pretty hard. Saoirse used a kickboxing style that also utilized knee and elbow strikes. She moved with power and precision, giving the idea that she might have been a trained fighter sometime in her past. Steve used the martial arts training that all the Spartans received that focused more on joint locks and disabling opponents with short, powerful strikes.

As they stood there watching, Valentina asked, "How long will they go for?" Allen shrugged. "Until they get tired or Saoirse gets sick of resurrecting." As if to prove his point, Steve caught Saoirse in a compromising situation and had her in a rear naked choke hold. Since she was wearing armor, there was no danger of Saoirse passing out, but she was doing her best to escape. Steve flexed his arms, gave a little twist and Saoirse's neck went POP and her body went limp. Steve untangled himself and lay Saoirse's body on the ground. Musashi appeared and expanded in a ball of light. Saoirse sat up and twisted her neck. "Let's go again."

"You sure about that?" Steve asked with a grin.

"Piss off pretty boy," Saoirse seethed. She raised her hands and got in her stance. Steve sighed and got in his own stance and they went at it again. Valentina noticed Saoirse was wearing a different armor set than usual. "She probably doesn't want to ruin her good armor," she thought out loud.

Saoirse was starting to get irritated. She would be the first to stand up and say that men and women are in fact, physically different. That being said, she should at least be able to do SOMETHING against this bioengineered superman. It took all of her skill and experience just to avoid getting her head taken off by one punch. To his credit, Steve didn't mess around. He fought her seriously and it was everything she could handle. Steve kicked out with his foot \and Saoirse twisted her body to take the blow on the outside of her leg. She moved inside his reach and gave two quick blows to the body and an uppercut to the chin. Steve's head snapped back and he took a step. Saoirse quickly set her feet and hit him squarely in the chest with a spinning back kick, knocking him back further. Saoirse pressed her advantage.

Allen, Valentina and Aurora watched them fight. "Y'know, even if I wasn't a highly trained soldier, I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley," Allen said.

"I agree," Aurora said. "She's really good."

"Unfortunately there are some limitations that can't be overcome with skill, guts, and hard work," Allen said.

"Don't let Saoirse hear you say that," Valentina said. At that moment, Saoirse caught Steve on the side of the head with a high side kick. The blow twisted his head around and knocked him off balance, causing him to trip and fall. Saoirse stood back and waited while Steve picked himself up and gave his head a shake. "Wow! Good hit!"

"Shut up and come at me bro!" Saoirse growled and they continued to fight. More of her hits were landing, but she was also taking more damage which enraged Saoirse further. A flame started to burn in her chest and she started to act more wild and aggressive. All Saoirse could think about was crushing Steve into tiny pieces for hurting and humiliating her. A fog of rage started to cloud her judgement and the burning feeling in her chest started to spread as she started to give in to her base emotions. Soon Saoirse was overcome and with a mighty shout, her body burst into flame. She ripped her helmet off and flung it to the side. Her eyes were glowing white and her red hair was standing out and dancing like flames. Saoirse was breathing heavily and steam poured out of her nose and mouth.

"Quick! We need to stop her!" Valentina cried out and rushed forward. Allen and Aurora hurriedly stepped in and helped Steve get away from the enraged Titan. Valentina was doing her best to calm her down. "Saoirse please! Calm down!" The flames started to die down as Saoirse slowly regained control of herself. Just then, a grenade flew across the room and exploded in a flash of purple light. Saoirse's flame was instantly swallowed by the Void and her Light momentarily suppressed. Valentina looked around and saw Selene and Vladimir approach. "Uh-oh," Valentina whispered.

"Uh-oh is right," Selene scolded. She looked at Saoirse and shook her head disapprovingly. "C'mon Saoirse. You know better than that. No abilities in the Tower."

Saoirse sighed dejectedly. "I know. I'm sorry. We were fighting and I let my emotions get out of control."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "You can't keep losing control of your Solar light like that. Eventually, you'll hurt someone besides yourself." Vladimir walked forward and put his hand on Saoirse's shoulder. "Come. I have perfect place for you to rest."

"Do I have too?" Saoirse complained.

"Or I tell the Vanguard you're having trouble controlling your Light and led them deal with it," Selene replied, matter-of-factly. Saoirse's shoulders slumped and Vladimir led her out. Valentina recovered Saoirse's helmet and handed it back to her. Saoirse gave her a weak smile in reply and ruffled her hair. As they disappeared through the door, Allen leaned into Selene and asked, "Will she get into trouble?"

"Not really," Selene said. "Her punishment will probably be more wall duty, but she'll get over it." Selene turned to the rest of the group. "Care to explain what was going on here?"

"Well it IS her fault, but we were sparring," Steve said. "She's just mad because she can't beat me in a straight-up fight."

"Oh?" Selene said, crossing her arms. "From the looks of it, she was giving you a pretty good beating."

"Only 'cause she caught me off-guard at the end," Steve replied. His armor did have few new scrapes and dents, proving the fight wasn't as one-sided as he claimed.

"Uh-huh," Selene replied, not believing him. "You've been fighting with a Titan. Care to try a Hunter?"

Steve looked her up and down and chuckled. "Saoirse couldn't hurt me, and she's bigger than you. What makes you think you have a chance?"

Selene's red eyes twinkled angrily. She looked over Steve's shoulder and said, "Hey what's that?"

On instinct, Steve turned his head and Selene closed the distance in the blink of an eye and held her knife to Steve's throat. "Because I don't play fair," she said in his ear.

Allen and Aurora could only blink in surprise. Neither had seen her move and Allen couldn't believe anyone could move that fast. "Well I think that's enough for today," he said nervously. Selene backed up, never taking her eyes off Steve and sheathed her knife. "We'll talk tomorrow," she said and left.

Aurora frowned. "I wonder what she meant by that?"

"Probably has to do with the explosives Selene and I stole from the Cabal," Valentina said. The others simply stared at her. "What? You want to go home don't you?" she asked defensively.

"Yeah, but I'd like to get back in one piece," Allen said.

"I agree," Aurora added.

Valentina sighed. "It's getting late and it's been a long day. I suggest we go back, rest, and continue this tomorrow." Allen and Aurora agreed and they followed her out of the gym.


	11. Session 10: Valentina

**INTERVIEWER:** So Saoirse didn't get in trouble for breaking your rules?

 **VALENTINA:** No. Not really.

 **INTERVIEWER:** How often does that happen?

 **VALENTINA:** Does what happen? Saoirse get in trouble? Not as often as you might think for someone with her personality.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Real quick, there was something I wanted to discuss. _(rustling papers)_ It was mentioned by Saoirse that a Titan by the name of Vladimir was in charge of the Tower prison?

 **VALENTINA:** Yes.

 **INTERVIEWER:** We asked Saoirse why a prison was necessary if the Guardians could escape by using their abilities.

 **VALENTINA: …**

 **INTERVIEWER:** Saoirse also mentioned the prison had 'permanent residents.' Do you know anything about that?

 **VALENTINA: …**

 **INTERVIEWER: …**

 **VALENTINA:** It is true that there are ways to drain a Guardian's Light, but I am hesitant to say anything.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Why is that?

 **VALENTINA:** Is that a serious question?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Of course.

 **VALENTINA:** You think it's strange that I don't want to discuss a potential weakness of Guardians with a possible enemy?

 **INTERVIEWER:** We aren't your enemy.

 **VALENTINA:** So says you.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Your continued cooperation would be most helpful.

 **VALENTINA:** For you. So far, I haven't gotten a very good deal from this arrangement.

 **INTERVIEWER:** _(sigh)_ I'll see what I can do but I won't promise anything.

 **VALENTINA:** You've said that before, so I'm not expecting anything. _(pause)_ What did Saoirse say about Vladimir?

 **INTERVIEWER:** That he was the only one 'Big and mean enough to keep the crazies in line.' Her words, not mine.

 **VALENTINA:** Vladimir is certainly gruff and can come across as intimidating, but he is not mean. He is actually a very nice person. _(sigh)_ Vladimir is primarily a Defender Titan, which focuses on Void energy. One of their abilities is a suppression grenade, which focuses Void light in a compact shape that explodes momentarily suppresses a Guardian's light. So based on that, use your imagination how Guardians are kept in confinement.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I see. Is that what happened to Saoirse then?

 **VALENTINA:** At that time, Vladimir used his suppression grenade to block Saoirse's Light, but she wasn't taken to a heavy duty cell. For her, it was more like getting put in time out.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Interesting. Moving on, you went to see the Vanguard the day after?

 **VALENTNA:** Yes.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What was discussed?

 **VALENTINA:** Not much really. We still couldn't come up with a plausible solution.

* * *

Valentina sighed. Weeks had passed since she and Selene had raided the Cabal base, but so far, no one could agree on the best course of action. Cayde was all for blowing stuff up, but Ikora disagreed, saying the consequences far outweighed the reward. Zavala didn't say much, and kept his thoughts mostly to himself. As usual, Selene was hardly seen in the tower and Saoirse complained loudly about her wall duty punishment. In the meantime, the Spartans snuck out of the Tower to visit the city. Part of Valentina wished she had gone with them.

"So why didn't you?" Valkyrie asked. Valentina shrugged. "I don't know. Something about it just bugs me."

"The City?" Valkyrie asked. Valentina shook her head. "No. This whole situation. Is there something that we are overlooking?"

"You mean helping the Spartans get home?" Valkyrie asked and Valentina nodded, then frowned. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen that Doctor Chudnoffsky lately."

"I would say good riddance, but I can see how that would be a problem," Valkyrie said.

Valentina wandered over to the clinic and went inside. She asked about Doctor Chudnoffsky, but the nurses said he hadn't been in for a few days. Valentina thanked them for their troubles and left. "Well that's disconcerting," Valkyrie said.

"I agree," Valentina said. She went to the apartment where the Spartans were staying and knocked on the door. Aurora answered and said, "Hey. What's up?"

"Oh. I was just wondering if any of you had seen Doctor Chudnoffsky lately," Valentina said.

Aurora frowned. "No I haven't." She opened the door and invited Valentina inside. "Hey! It's Valentina!" Aurora called out as she disappeared inside. Valentina sat in a chair and waited. She heard shouting in the distance and Aurora came back in and said, "No one has seen him recently. Why? Is he in trouble?"

"I don't know," Valentina admitted. "Does he seem like the type to get into trouble?"

Aurora put her hand to her chin and thought. "I don't know the guy well enough, but from what I've heard from Steve and Allen, once he sets his mind to something, he won't let it go."

"I see," Valentina replied. By now, Steve and Allen had walked in. This was really the first time Valentina had seen them without their armor. Allen and Steve had their hair cut very close to the scalp, while Aurora's brown hair was about chin length and held back with a hair tie. Even out of their armor, Allen and Steve were very tall, with Steve being physically bigger than Allen and Aurora. Aurora was the shortest of the three, and all of them had pale skin. Valentina imagined this was because they spent so much time in their armor. She started to feel uncomfortable with the three of them looming over her.

"Hmm. If I were an idiot doctor, where would I hide?" Steve asked, and stroked his chin in thought.

"Well, he is an alien lover. Where is the nearest place with aliens?" Allen asked.

"Technically, the Fallen have camps located around the City," Valentina said.

"What would it take to get out there?" Steve asked.

"Not much. There are entrances through the wall, but they are heavily guarded," Valentina said. "The easiest way would be to take a ship and go a short distance away from the city."

"Okay. I think we can agree the doctor took a ship and headed out somewhere," Steve said.

"Hold on. I think that's a bit much at this point," Aurora said. "Perhaps he just went down into the City. From what I saw, it's a very big place and easy to get lost in. Perhaps he went down there and hasn't come back yet?"

"That is also a good guess," Allen said. They all thought for a few moments and Valentina said, "I think we should go and talk to Amanda. If he did take a ship, she would know about it." Allen and Steve nodded in agreement and Valentina led them through the Tower to the hangar.

"Hey there!" Amanda called out when she saw them. "What can I do for ya?"

"Do you remember the other guy that came here with us?" Allen asked.

"Tall, thin, graying hair, and a pretentious douche bag?" Steve offered.

"Hmm. Not really. However, there was a guy who fit that description who came through the other day. He got a little heated when I wouldn't just give him a ship."

"Why not?" Aurora asked.

Amanda raised an eyebrow and stared at Aurora. "Do you really think I'm going to give a ship, one of the most valuable resources the City has, to some guy I don't know? Tell me, how much sense does that make to you?"

"Okay, I'm sorry," Aurora said and put her hands up.

"Anyway," Allen interrupted, "Where did he go after that?"

"Well after he threw a tantrum, he kinda stormed out. Haven't seen him since," Amanda said. "What's his deal anyway?"

"Back where we come from, he studies aliens. He's a doctor in alien biology and stuff," Steve said.

"Oh. One of those eh?" Amanda said. "It's rare, but we have those kinds of people here too. They think that we can all just get along, and the only reason they want to kill us is because we are killing them first." She sighed and shook her head. "Some people just don't understand that some things just want us all dead."

"Sounds about right," Allen said.

While they were talking, Valentina was lost in thought. Based on what she knew about Doctor Chudnoffsky, he wouldn't just give up. He was too stubborn and thought too highly of himself. In the time they had been here, it was possible he had learned about the Fallen, Vex and Hive, but Valentina had a suspicion he was most interested in the Awoken. She recalled the conversation they had and realized she might have said too much. He had pestered her endlessly about becoming his test subject, but she had refused. Valentina wouldn't put it past him to ask other Awoken in the Tower. And besides the Tower, where was the largest concentration of Awoken? That thought hit Valentina like a thunderbolt. "Amanda, is there regular shipments between the Tower and the Reef?" she blurted out.

"Yeah. Why?" Amanda asked.

"He asked me to go back and be a test subject for his research and didn't appreciate it when I said no. When did the last shipment go out?" Valentina asked. This line of thinking was making her more agitated, especially since she was the one who had mentioned it.

"Uh, a few days ago. Why?" Amanda asked. She saw the anxious look on Valentina's face and realization slowly came over her. "Oh. That could be bad."

"Wait. What's bad?" Steve asked.

"When I told him no, I imagine Doctor Chudnoffsky asked others in the Tower to take my place. I bet others said the same thing. And where else besides the Tower do Awoken live?" Valentina asked.

"The Reef," Amanda replied. "It makes sense why he would want a ship." She frowned and added, "Does he even know how to fly a ship?"

"At this point it doesn't matter," Steve said. "If your guess is correct, then he went to this Reef place. So how do we get there?"

At that moment, the Tower public address crackled to life. "Uh, Warlock Valentina? Could you come and meet with the Vanguard? What? Really? Oh, and Zavala wants you to bring your new friends. Thanks! See you soon," Cayde said.

They stared at each other for a few moments. "I bet I know what this is about," Allen said. They all turned their attention to Valentina, who shrank under their gaze. "It's not my fault," she mumbled.

"Well, it kinda is," Steve said. "If you had agreed to the doctor's demands, we wouldn't have to go get his dumb ass out of trouble again."

"Okay, okay," Allen said, stepping between Steve and Valentina. "Let's just go and see what this is about."

"Good luck," Amanda said and waved them off. It wasn't a long walk from the Hangar to the Vanguard Hall and Valentina was silent the whole way. Steve's words troubled her greatly. Was this her fault? Was there anything else she could have done to prevent this? Doctor Chudnoffsky was a smart man. Even if Valentina hadn't told him about the Reef, he would have found out anyway. Valentina nervously chewed on her thumb nail.

"Hey! There they are!" Cayde called out. Valentina stopped at the foot of the stairs and fidgeted nervously. Cayde gave her a long look and said, "So. I imagine you know why you're here?"

"I have an idea," Valentina said softly.

Ikora gave Cayde a stern look. She then turned to Valentina and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I understand your trepidation, but this isn't your fault."

Zavala cleared his throat. "Just to make things clear. We have received word from the Reef that an unknown visitor claiming to be from another universe showed up at the Vestian Outpost and started causing trouble. The Reef has him in custody."

"And what do you want us to do about it?" Steve asked.

"Our relations with the Reef and the Awoken are tenuous at best. It's in our best interest to not let things get worse," Zavala said. "Having newcomers such as yourself cause a scene certainly do not help matters."

"Like I said, what do you want us to do about it?" Steve repeated. He crossed his arms and made himself look as intimidating as possible.

Zavala narrowed his eyes. "I don't want _you_ to do anything. You've done enough by not keeping an eye on this Doctor Chudnoffsky fellow."

"Don't blame me. I'm not responsible for his actions," Steve said.

"Whether you believe that or not doesn't matter. He came with you from your world, and any action reflects on all of you," Zavala said. "In the meantime, Warlock Valentina will go to the Reef and negotiate for his release."

"Me?" Valentina squeaked. "Why me?"

"Because you are a Guardian and familiar with these outsiders," Zavala said.

"Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact I am an Awoken?" Valentina asked.

Zavala narrowed his eyes. "You know as well as I do that the Reef-born Awoken do not view us in a good light."

"Just making sure," Valentina mumbled. "And I don't know anything about Reef politics, or politics in general. I don't know if I can convince them to let the doctor go."

"You're a Guardian. You'll do you your best," Zavala said. With that, he deemed the meeting over. Cayde gave Valentina a sympathetic look and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry. Wish I could offer some advice, but I know about as much as you do."

Ikora was more helpful. "Try talking to the Acting Regent-Commander Petra Venj. She might be more lenient since she has much more to worry about." Valentina nodded and left.

Steve ran to catch up. "So, when are we leaving?"

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to tag along," Valentina said.

"Well we are kinda responsible for the idiot doctor," Allen said.

Steve turned to Allen and said, "Didn't you hear what I said back there? He's a big boy who can make his own stupid decisions. Don't drag us down with him."

"And what happens when we go back without him?" Allen persisted. "Look. I get it. I really do. But it will look bad on us for leaving him behind. All the science nerds will be asking for our heads. You know how they are."

"Yeah I do, but it serves them right," Steve said.

While they argued, Valentina had a sudden thought. She looked over her shoulder and tried to suppress a shudder. Eris Morn was a Hunter that participated in The Great Disaster. In retaliation for the dead Guardians, Eris formed a fireteam with five other Guardians to find and kill Crota. They ventured deep into the Hellmouth on the Moon and waited for their chance. Needless to say, they failed and Eris was the only survivor. One could only guess at the horrors she saw and experienced while she was lost. At some point, Eris lost her Ghost and her sight and it was said she replaced her lost eyes with those from a Hive enemy. Her face was heavily bandaged, but three glowing eyes shined a sickly green color. Dark miasma flowed quietly down her face like unending tears. Her time in the darkness changed her greatly. Few remembered her from before.

Very hesitantly, Valentina made her way to Eris' stall. "Speak, Warlock," Eris said, startling Valentina. "Oh. Yes. Sorry," she stammered. "I do have a question." Eris' three glowing eyes burned deep into Valentina's soul. "Um, the Hive Ascendant realm can act as a portal to other dimensions, yes?"

Eris nodded. "There are gateways to the Ascendant realm. However, the Ascendant realm itself is another dimension."

"So it would be possible to enter the Ascendant realm and exit into another dimension?" Valentina asked. Eris stopped to consider her words. "I suppose that could be the case," Eris said. "But you would have to know the coordinates of the dimension you are trying to travel to."

Valentina nodded. "That would make sense. Is there any way to know what dimension you would be trying to travel to?"

"I am unsure," Eris said. "I assume this is related to those strange people you found?"

Valentina nodded. "But Selene is the one who found them." At this, Eris perked up. "Selene? I have not seen her for some time."

Valentina looked around uncertainly. "Well, she has an aversion to the Tower for some reason."

"Indeed. I do not blame her," Eris said. "But that is not for me to tell."

Valentina gave Eris a curious look. "Your question intrigues me. I shall look into it."

"Oh. You don't have to if you don't want to. I didn't mean to impose on you or anything," Valentina stammered. Eris dismissed her words with a wave of the hand. "Pay it no mind. However, I will ask you to do something for me," she said.

 _Uh-oh,_ Valentina thought.

"On the Dreadnaught, there is a Hive Knight that guards the way to the Dreadnaught core. If left to its own devices, it will grow in power and attempt to usurp the Taken throne. This cannot be allowed to happen," Eris said.

"And why do I have to do this?" Valentina asked.

Eris cocked her head to the side and stared at Valentina. "It is a fair trade. I gave you information and in return, you will do this for me."

"We never had that sort of agreement," Valentina argued. "I merely asked you a question since you have knowledge about the Hive."

"I shared that knowledge with you, and in return I am merely asking for compensation. Is that so wrong?" Eris asked. The air seemed to grow colder and an uneasy feeling came over Valentina. "N-no. I guess not," she stammered.

"Good. I will await news of your success," Eris said and turned her back to Valentina.

Valentina was quite nervous and confused. Eris had unsettled her greatly. It kind of made sense that Eris would ask for some form of compensation, but go to the Dreadnaught and kill a Hive Knight? It sounded so simple. It was true that Hive Knights were quite dangerous, but they could be dealt with. Valentina had a sneaking suspicion there was something Eris wasn't telling her. Valentina sighed. She would deal with that when the time came.

Steve threw his arm around Valentina and she gave out a startled yelp. "Whatcha doin?" he asked.

"Nothing. Talking to Eris," Valentina replied and pushed Steve's arm off. "Right now I have to go to the Reef."

"Oh. When do we leave?" Steve asked.

"I really don't think you should come with me. The Awoken at the Reef are very reclusive and don't take kindly to strangers," Valentina said.

"All the more reason for us to go with you. For protection," Steve said.

Valentina frowned. "I suppose it would be worthless to ask you to stay out of trouble."

"Of course! Trouble is my middle name!" Steve said. Valentina sighed. "Somehow I believe you." Allen and Aurora joined them and the four of them went back to the Hangar.

"Back already?" Amanda asked.

"Yes. I need our ship to go to the Reef," Valentina said.

"Sure thing. I'll have it right out," Amanda said. Moments later, the elevator rose from the depths of the Hangar with their gaudy blue and green ship. "That ship is _so ugly_!" Steve whined. Valentina ignored him and walked up the ramp. Once everyone was on board and strapped in, Valentina took off and headed for orbit.

"So this place we're going. Why is it called the Reef?" Allen asked.

"During the Collapse, many ships tried to escape to deep space. Many didn't make it and were marooned in the Asteroid Belt. The survivors managed to build a new society, completely isolated from Earth or its colonies," Valentina explained.

"So how did you end up on Earth?" Steve asked. Valentina said nothing and stared out the viewport. "I don't know. Valkyrie found me on Mars. After a while, a Guardian found me and brought me back to the Tower." Valkyrie appeared and settled gently on top of Valentina's head. The trip to the reef didn't take long at near-light speed. Valentina carefully navigated the asteroids and ship debris and arrived at the Vestian Outpost. Due to its location, the area surrounding the Reef seemed to glow with ethereal energy, giving everything a dark purple glow. Valentina brought the ship on approach and carefully put down.

"Um, do we need our helmets here?" Allen asked.

"No. There is atmosphere here, but it is a bit thin," Valentina said. The ramp descended and once Valentina led them out, the ramp retracted and the ship took off. "Don't worry. It's in a holding pattern since there isn't much space here," Valentina added.

The area wasn't very big and appeared to be the remains of a hollowed out ship. Platforms were welded together and connected with walkways to the main parts of the ship. To the right of where they were was the Postmaster and vault access. Directly ahead was an Eververse kiosk and off to the left was a command post of sorts. On the far wall was the Reef cryptarch and Fallen wearing green and white colors. The area was surprisingly well lit, with most of the light coming from the asteroid belt outside.

"So what is this place exactly?" Aurora asked.

"This is the Vestian Outpost. It serves as a gateway to the rest of the Awoken realm," Valentina said. "This is as far as most Guardians are allowed." She led them over to the command post where several Awoken were working. The one in charge had pale lavender colored skin similar to Valentina and a bright electric blue eye. Her left eye was hidden by an eye patch. Her dark maroon hair was cut short and she wore purple and black light armor with gold highlights. She did not look happy. "Normally I would be happy to see a Guardian, but this is not a normal circumstance," she said.

Valentina winced. "I'm sorry Acting Regent-Commander. I was sent by the Vanguard to negotiate for Doctor Chudnoffsky's release."

Petra frowned. "Doctor who?"

Now Valentina was confused. "I was told that an unidentified intruder was apprehended here at the Reef. We assumed it was this Doctor Chudnoffsky."

"Yeah. Our bad on that one," Steve spoke up. Allen elbowed him in the ribs. Petra looked over Valentina's head. "Who are they?"

"It's a long story," Valentina said.

Petra looked back to Valentina. "I don't know of any Doctor Chudnoffsky, but I will take you to the prisoner." Petra turned to one of the other Awoken and spoke in her ear before leading Valentina and the others through the outpost. The tunnels were round and dark as Petra led them through the ruined ship interior. They passed a large opening, but the door was locked and heavily reinforced. "What's in there?" Steve asked.

"That leads to the Prison of Elders," Petra said.

"Oh. Sounds kind of important," Allen said.

"Sure. It's an arena for Guardians to test their might against the most dangerous prisoners in the Reef. Think of it as a reward for the Guardians helping us out during the House of Wolves crisis," Petra said. They continued on and Petra stopped in front of another door. She unlocked it, stepped through and led them down another corridor.

"This is it," Petra said and stopped in front of another door. She unlocked the door and it opened, revealing a small cell and a rather disheveled Doctor Chudnoffsky pacing inside. "This is unacceptable! You have no right to treat me this way!"

"Well, you DID break their rules so this is all your fault," Steve said.

Chudnoffsky became indignant. "What rules have I broken? I have done nothing wrong!"

"Well for one, you are a stowaway," Petra counted. "And two, you are not a Guardian or from the City. Not to mention you caused quite the scene when you got here."

Valentina sighed. "This is the man I was telling you about. I have come from the Vanguard to negotiate for his release."

"Is that so?" Petra asked. "I have half a mind to keep him locked up here."

"By all means do it. You'll be doing us a favor," Steve said. Allen and Aurora elbowed him in the ribs.

"What sort of trouble was he causing?" Valentina asked.

"For starters, he was greatly unimpressed with what we've built here," Petra said. "Then he started wandering around, asking questions and bugging everyone. When he was stopped and asked, he became belligerent. So we detained him."

"What will you accept for his release?" Valentina asked.

"For starters, he is banned from the Reef," Petra said.

"Done," Valentina agreed.

"Hey!" Chudnoffsky protested.

"Shut up old man!" Steve said and put his finger in the doctor's face. "This is all your fault and you have no say." Chudnoffsky sputtered in reply.

"Anything else?" Valentina asked.

Petra thought for a moment. "As a matter of fact, yes. When he arrived, he was holding a small tablet device. I imagine that's what he was recording his notes on. I want all the data he has gathered about the reef deleted."

"Absolutely not!" Chudnoffsky shouted.

"Deal," Valentina said. Petra reached into her pocket and produced the doctor's tablet. "I don't know how that thing works," Valentina said. Allen took the tablet from Petra and stared at Chudnoffsky. "Well?"

"I absolutely refuse! That is my private property and you have no right to take it!" Chudnoffsky said.

"Well you should have thought about that before you stowed away to get here," Allen said.

"How else was I supposed to get here? That so-called shipwright of yours refused to lend me a ship," Chudnoffsky said.

"I'm sure she explained why," Valentina said.

"It doesn't matter! Do you know what happens to those who impede the progress of science and understanding? They become footnotes in history, forgotten in the passage of time. You are impeding my research!" Chudnoffsky insisted.

Petra turned to Valentina. "What is he talking about?"

"His field of study is alien biology. Since we Awoken are not quite Human, he wants to study us and take his findings back to his world," Valentina said. "He asked me to go back and become a living specimen."

Petra looked horrified. "You refused right?"

"Of course," Valentina assured her. Everyone turned to look at Chudnoffsky. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked.

"It's simple Doc. Either you stay here and be a special guest of the Reef until you die, or you do as she says and you can come back with us," Steve said.

Chudnoffsky's face started to turn red and Valentina became worried he was going to burst a blood vessel. "I guess there's no choice then," he said through clenched teeth. He grabbed the tablet from Allen and turned it on. Reginald appeared and looked around. "Well this is cozy," he said.

"It seems I have gotten myself in a bit of trouble," Chudnoffsky said. "I need you to retrieve all of the data I have gathered since coming to this place."

"This place as in this world, or this place as in your current location?" Reginald asked.

"My current location," Chudnoffsky said. Reginald's form blinked rapidly and a folder appeared in his hand. "What do you want with this?" he asked.

Chudnoffsky blew out an angry breath. "Delete it."

"Are you sure?" Reginald asked.

"Of course I'm sure!" Chudnoffsky shouted. "Just do as I say!"

Reginald was taken aback. "No need to shout sir," he said and the folder disappeared. "Done. The data has been erased."

"Hold up," Steve said.

"What now?" Chudnoffsky spat

Steve turned to Valentina and asked, "Doesn't your Ghost thing have the ability to interface with computers?"

"Yes," Valentina replied.

"Good. Have it take a look at his computer and make sure all data and records pertaining to everything she said is actually gone," Steve said, pointing his thumb at Petra.

Valkyrie appeared and floated over to Chudnoffsky, who held his tablet against his chest. "What's this about?" he asked.

"You heard him. Let me have a look," Valkyrie said. Reluctantly, Chudnoffsky held out his tablet. Valkyrie scanned the tablet and her points twisted about as she worked. "Oh. This is interesting. The portal that brought them here is similar to the one in the Court of Oryx that the fireteam used to travel to the Ascendant realm."

"Really? That is interesting," Valentina said.

"Hmm. There's a lot of good stuff in here. I had no idea your world was so interesting," Valkyrie said.

Reginald appeared and turned red. "I must protest your action," he said.

"So this is what you consider an A.I.?" Valkyrie asked. "Intersting."

"That data does not pertain to your search," Reginald said, brandishing his cane sword.

"Ha! Like you could stop me," Valkyrie said.

"Play nice," Valentina said.

"Fine," Valkyrie huffed. After a few moments, Valkyrie said, "It's a good thing you had me check. There were all kinds of backups and additional information that was hidden deep in the program files."

"I must strenuously object to this treatment," Reginald said, waving his sword about.

"Doesn't feel too good, does it asshole!" Isis spoke up through Aurora's helmet.

"What was that?" Petra asked, looking around.

Allen and Steve stared hard at Aurora, who shrank away. "Nothing. Ignore it for now," Allen said.

"In any case, I'm done here," Valkyrie said and went back to Valentina. Petra gave a satisfied nod. "You're free to go. Normally your punishment would be much harsher, but since you are apparently not from this universe, we'll let it go for now." Furious, Chudnoffsky stuffed his tablet in his pocket and followed them back out to the main area.

"I apologize for the trouble this has caused. Please don't let this reflect too badly on your view of Guardians and the City," Valentina said with a bow.

"No trouble at all,' Petra said. "It's in the Reef's best interest to maintain communication with the City."

The ship arrived and everyone stepped onboard except for Valentina. "I have another matter to attend to, so I won't be going back with you," she said.

"Then how are we supposed to get back?" Steve asked.

"The coordinates for the City are in the computer. The autopilot will take you straight there," Valentina said.

"Okay. I think we can figure that out," Allen said. The ramp closed and the ship departed, leaving Valentina behind.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Valkyrie asked.

"Maybe not, but I really hate to go back to Earth, just to come right back here," Valentina said.

"Well it will take a little while for your ship to get here," Valkyrie said. Valentina wandered around in the meantime. It was rare for Guardians to be invited further into the Reef past the outpost. Valentina had heard of a Guardian who had actually met the Queen of the Awoken, who ruled the Reef with an iron fist. Not much was known about her, but she had gone missing when Oryx arrived in the Solar System. Valentina looked in Petra's direction and could only imagine how Petra felt.

"Your ship is here now," Valkyrie said and transmatted Valentina on board. She took the controls and made the short flight from the Reef to Saturn, where the Dreadnaught was orbiting. It was quite easy to find since it had used its superweapon and made a significant hole in Saturn's famous rings. The Dreadnaught itself was an enormous diamond-shaped spaceship that also served as the gateway to Oryx's Throne World. It was rumored that the Dreadnaught itself was carved from the bones of an ancient Hive god. A large hole was torn in the side where the Cabal had crashed a landing ship into the Dreadnaught. Valentina flew in close to the hole and Valkyrie transmatted her down to the landing zone that had been set up for the Guardians.

"The quickest way to get to where we want to go is through that wrecked Cabal ship," Valkyrie said. "Wasn't there a mission a while back to prevent the Cabal from blowing up the Dreadnaught?"

"I believe so," Valentina replied.

"Hopefully we'll have an easier time than they did," Valkyrie said. The crashed ship was up ahead, and the quickest way inside was through the large cargo ramp. There was a small contingent of Cabal fighting off the Hive. Valentina was amazed there was still Cabal soldiers left. A war of attrition in a Hive fortress was not a winning strategy.

Valentina checked her weapons and set out, carefully to avoid the skirmish between the Hive and Cabal. She made it to the ship and snuck on board with little notice.

"I'm using the data gathered from the strike mission. The beacon on your HUD will lead you there," Valkyrie said and Valentina made her way through the passageways of the ship. Before long, she came to a large hangar area that was being patrolled by Cabal. "I don't think you can sneak past them all," Valkyrie said.

"I was afraid of that," Valentina said. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. This was foolish. She should call Selene or Saoirse for help. But what would that prove? She was a Guardian and a Warlock. The energy and secrets of the universe bent to her will. Wisps of Void energy circled her hands and dark thoughts whispered in her ear, telling her take her enemies and make them tremble before her. The Void pulled at her, it wanted to break free and feed.

Valentina exerted her will over the Void and the whispers quieted, but did not fade completely. She set her mind to the task and entered the hangar. The first group of Cabal she encountered didn't notice her. Valentina gathered the Void in her hand and tossed out a ball of energy like a grenade. It split apart into smaller clusters before exploding, killing most of the Cabal soldiers and damaging the rest. Valentina quickly took care of the survivors. In the next bay over, she found another group and tossed another grenade. Now alerted to her presence, the Cabal began to shoot back.

Valentina took cover behind a pallet and peeked out. A Cabal Legionary used its jump jets to jump up on the catwalk where Valentina was hiding. Startled, Valentina gathered Void energy in her hand and thrust it forward. The Void energy enveloped the unlucky Cabal it disintegrated into nothing. Valentina felt a rush of power come over her as the Legionary disappeared. This scared her a little. It was as if the Void had stolen the life force of that Legionary and fed it back to her. She didn't take much time to think about this since she was still being shot at. She tossed another Void grenade down below and shot at the rest.

A Cabal Psion snuck up from behind and knocked her down. Valentina quickly rolled to her feet and pushed back at the Psion, knocking it off balance and quickly shot it. Another Legionary jumped up to the catwalk and Valentina quickly shot it and used her Void energy drain to kill it. The rest of the Cabal soldiers were killed and Valentina took a moment to catch her breath.

The marker on her HUD pointed to a large door across the hangar. The door was locked, but the crash had knocked the ceiling loose, so Valentina was able to bypass the door by going up and over. She followed the passage ways further into the ship and came across an open area with Cabal and Hive fighting. "This area is the bridge. Where we need to get to is through that door on the far side," Valkyrie said.

"Should we wait for them to fight it out?" Valentina asked.

"It's up to you," Valkyrie said.

"We'll wait until the fighting has died down some," Valentina decided. She hid behind some boxes and shot at the enemies she could see without giving away her position. When the fighting died down, Valentina took care of the survivors and continued forward. Through the doorway, the hall abruptly ended and exited back to the Dreadnaught. Valentina peeked inside and saw the biggest Hive Knight she had ever seen. It was standing in front of a set of doors on the far side of the room. "I bet that's the Knight Eris told us about," Valkyrie said.

Valentina was speechless. How was she supposed to do this on her own? That thing would crush her without hesitation. She would have to be smart about this. The Knight was now pacing around and Valentina quickly dashed inside and hid behind cover. Scattered around the room were cylinders that glowed orange. Valentina remembered that these cylinders exploded when shot. She snuck forward around a large chunk of stone and surprised an Acolyte. It shouted in alarm and Valentina disintegrated it with her energy drain. Now alerted, the Knight began shooting at her with its large weapon. Smaller side doors opened and more Acolytes, Thrall and two Wizards entered the room.

Valentina retreated further back in the room and when a large group clumped together, she shot at one of the cylinders. It exploded and the Hive enemies were reduced to cinders. The large Knight was still shooting and chasing her, so Valentina kept on the move, mostly driven by adrenaline and fear. One of the Wizard floated into view and launched a barrage of explosive energy projectiles at her. Valentina jumped in the air and used her glide ability to float out of the way. She swapped her scout rifle for her fusion rifle and shot her own barrage of energy projectiles at the Wizard. It took a few shots, but the Wizard was finally killed. Unfortunately, the large Knight caught her with its weapon and she took heavy damage.

Valentina managed to duck into cover and took a moment to asses her damage. It wasn't fatal but it still hurt. At that moment, another Acolyte found her and started shooting. Valentina lashed out with her energy drain and felt a surge of power as the Acolyte died. Her overshield had quickly recharged and she was ready to go.

The Void now whispered in her ear, demanding payment for her use of its power. Valentina was willing to oblige and drew from the Void and focused the power in her core. She jumped out of cover and floated over the Knight, staying just ahead of its weapon's path. The energy in her core moved to her hands and built up until Valentina could no longer contain it. She thrust her arm forward and a large purple ball of Void energy shot forth and impacted the Knight, dealing a massive amount of damage.

The knight staggered back and Valentina pressed her advantage by throwing a grenade at its fee and firing shot after shot from her fusion rifle. Finally, with a roar of anguish, the Knight collapsed into a pile of dust, leaving Valentina breathing heavily from her effort. Satisfied for now, the whispers of the Void faded into the back of her mind.

The realization of what had happened finally caught up to Valentina and she slumped to the ground. She suddenly felt very tired and worn out.

"Probably because you're not used to using Void energy yet," Valkyrie suggested.

Valentina agreed. It was different than using Solar or even Arc and it still made her nervous. But Void was from the Light and not the Darkness, so everything would be okay, she told herself.

Valentina pulled herself to her feet and poked through the pile of ash the Knight left behind and found a strange piece of parchment covered with strange glyphs.

"Hmm. I wonder if the Cryptarchs can make anything of this," Valkyrie said.

"We should take it back to Eris as proof we killed the Knight," Valentina said.

"I suppose you're right," Valkyrie said. They backtracked through the Cabal ship to the Guardian landing zone, where her ship picked them up and headed back to Earth.


	12. Session 11: Selene

**INTERVIEWER:** From everything we've been told so far, it seems like you've done the least out of everyone.

 **SELENE:** Okay. What brought you to that conclusion?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Well, it seems Saoirse was actively involved with helping the Spartans adapt to life in the Tower, and Valentina was researching how to send them back. What were you doing this whole time?

 **SELENE:** Why does it matter to you?

 **INTERVIEWER:** I'm just trying to figure out how a person such as yourself could inspire Valentina and Saoirse to follow you. Why did you come here?

 **SELENE:** It seemed like a good idea at the time.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I highly doubt that.

 **SELENE:** Whatever. Think what you want. And as far as the other two, did you ask them why they came?

 **INTERVIEWER:** We haven't, but we will.

 **SELENE:** Saoirse and Valentina are big girls and can make their own decisions. I didn't force them to do anything they didn't want to. All I did was say, "I'm going." That's all.

 **INTERVIEWER:** There must be some explanation, unless you are a master of blind loyalty.

 **SELENE:** Are you trying to piss me off? Because you're doing a good job of it.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Is that a threat?

 **SELENE:** Do you want it to be?

 **INTERVIEWER:** What does that mean?

 **SELENE:** It means, keep this up and find out. And as far as the illusion of making the others do the work, I'm a Hunter. I do what I want and don't have to explain anything to anyone. But I guess perception is reality.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Indeed.

 **SELENE:** If a bureaucrat is doing work, and nobody is around to see it, does anybody care?

 **INTERVIEWER:** What?

 **SELENE:** What?

 **INTERVIEWER:** You still haven't adequately explained your reasoning.

 **SELENE:** Reasoning for what?

 **INTERVIEWER:** For making the others work harder, for following the Spartans here.

 **SELENE:** I already told you why I came here. And for making the others do all the work as you claim, they did that all on their own. I did my part. I found them and brought them back to the Tower. From there, other people decided to help them come back. I had no say in that whatsoever. To be honest, it wasn't even a priority.

 **INTERVIEWER:** How so?

 **SELENE:** What I mean is, there were other, more important matters that had the City's attention.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Such as?

 **SELENE:** Such as why the Fallen had suddenly given up and abandoned their siege of the City, or where the Cabal reinforcements were coming from, or who was leading the Hive and Taken now that Oryx was dead and gone, or what the Vex were up to? Important things.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And what was your part in all this?

 **SELENE:** Apparently, doing things that annoy the piss out of you in particular.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So nothing then?

 **SELENE: …**

* * *

Selene lay back against a rock and looked up at the sky. The ring of debris around the Moon glinted brightly from the Sun's light, drowning out most of the stars. The Earth was rising over the horizon. Selene stared into the blackness of space and lazily tossed a knife in the air. Despite the lower gravity of the Moon, Selene wasn't worried about her knife floating away. Ghost hovered near by, scanning the old equipment. "Do you know what this place is?" Selene asked.

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me," Ghost replied.

"This is the landing site of Apollo 17," Selene said. "They were the last humans to visit the Moon, almost one hundred years before we found the Traveler on Mars."

"Is that so? I'm surprised this site is in such good condition," Ghost said.

"The Hellmouth is in that direction, so I guess the Hive haven't been this far," Selene said and pointed.

"Do you think the Hive have temples in other locations on the Moon?" Ghost asked. Selene shrugged. "Dunno. Never tried looking. Wouldn't surprise me. The hive have hollowed out the Moon and turned it into a giant labyrinth."

Ghost scanned some near-by equipment. "Pre-Golden Age Humanity was quite fascinating. They were able to send people to the Moon and bring them back with such primitive technology."

Selene caught her knife and a sudden thought struck her. "Do we know how the Hive portals work?"

Ghost stopped and turned in Selene's direction. "What are you getting at?"

"I imagine that someone, probably Valentina, has thought of this already, but why not re-calibrate the portals to take us where we want to go?" Selene asked while playing with her knife.

"That's a possibility, but we don't know the address of the place we would want to go," Ghost said. "It would be like opening a door that you don't know where it leads. There's also no guarantee that the portal would even lead back to their universe."

"Anything is better than blowing up a Hive portal and getting sucked in," Selene said.

Ghost's eye started to blink. "Oh. I'm getting an update from Valkyrie." Several seconds went by. "Hmm. Would have thought that? Hey Selene, you'll never guess."

"Valentina went off by herself, got into some trouble, figured a way out and didn't die?" Selene asked in a monotone voice. A flick of the wrist sent the knife spinning into the air.

"Really? How'd you guess?" Ghost asked.

"Just a feeling," Selene said and caught the knife in her fingers.

"You're not mad?" Ghost asked.

"Why would I be mad?" Selene asked.

"Well, Valentina DID get herself into trouble," Ghost said.

"And she got herself out of it," Selene said. "The purpose of a teacher is to enable the student to get by without the teacher."

"What does that mean?" Ghost asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Selene said. "Valentina's a big girl. She shouldn't have to depend on others to bail her out. I'll have to talk to her later."

Ghost zipped up to Selene so they were eye to eye. "And what if something had happened to her?"

"If it were that serious, Val would have called," Selene said.

"But what if she couldn't? What if she were trapped in a Darkness Zone with no escape?" Ghost asked.

"You're really insistent about this for some reason. Are you trying to guilt me into admitting something?" Selene asked.

"I'm just trying to understand why you've spent so much time helping her, only to brush this off like it's nothing. Do you really not care?" Ghost asked.

Selene sighed and pushed Ghost out of her face. "Of course I care. Like I said, the best way to show I care is to give her the tools she needs to survive in this world. It's not all happiness and rainbows you know."

"I am well aware of that," Ghost said.

"If you're going to blame anyone, blame Saoirse. She's the one who treats Valentina like a baby," Selene said.

"Compared to me, all of you are babies," Ghost muttered.

"I heard that," Selene said. She sat up and tucked her knife away. "I suppose we should head back and talk to Eris about this Hive portal thing." At the mention of Eris, Ghost shuddered. "Do we have to?"

"Yes we have to," Selene said. "Does Eris creep you out that much?"

"How could she not?" Ghost said. "She spent all that time surviving in the darkness with the Hive. Who's to say she's not secretly in league with them?"

Selene grabbed her Ghost and gave it an angry shake. "How _dare_ you say something like that. If you weren't so important, I'd put a bullet in you myself."

"C'mon now. There's no need for that," Ghost said. "And you can't tell me you've never had similar thoughts about Eris."

"You're no different than everyone else," Selene said and sent Ghost tumbling away with a toss. "Eris doesn't want your pity, but she deserves respect. We can only imagine the horrors she saw and experienced. Eris _HATES_ the Hive with every fiber of her being and was instrumental in killing Crota and Oryx. How could you even suggest she's a secret spy? AND she's a Hunter. Ikora trusts her and I do too."

"You're only saying that because you have a bit of history with Eris," Ghost fumed. "I don't appreciate being tossed about like a rag doll."

"Then don't act like one," Selene shot back. She put her hands on her hips and looked around. "Do you suppose those Spartan guys have completely colonized their Moon?" she asked.

"Most likely. It sounds like they've colonized hundreds of worlds," Ghost said.

"How do you suppose they keep track of it all? It seems to me that any government would be too large and cumbersome to keep everything in line," Selene said.

"Well why don't you ask them about it?" Ghost said.

"Maybe I will," Selene said. Selene waited while Ghost called their ship. "If we do manage to get the Spartans back to their universe, do you think people would be mad if we went with them?" she asked.

"Why would you even ask something like that?" Ghost said. "Of course they would get mad! Not to mention the Tower would be losing an experienced Guardian."

"True, but they came here and if we can get them back, that proves it would be possible to move from one universe to the other. Think of it as a long-range scouting mission," Selene said.

"I don't care what you say, you won't be able to justify this to me," Ghost said.

"I suppose I'll just have to try harder," Selene said. Her ship appeared overhead and Ghost transmatted them onboard. Selene took the controls and headed back to Earth.

After landing in the hangar, Selene went to the main plaza and headed down the central stairs to see Eris. When Eris first came back to the Tower, she set herself up near the entrance to Tower North. Now she was just down the stairs before Lord Shaxx's Crucible kiosk. Eris was staring into her glowing orb when Selene found her. "Hello Eris."

Eris looked up and stared with her three glowing eyes. "Hello Selene."

"Sorry I haven't come by lately. I've been pretending to be busy so I don't have to come to the Tower," Selene said. Eris dismissed her words with a wave. "It matters little to me. Most ignore me out of fear or spite, but are more than happy to take advantage of my knowledge."

"You're right. People are dumb," Selene agreed.

"So. What brings you here?" Eris asked.

"For one, I heard Valentina came to you with some questions," Selene said. Eris nodded. "She wanted to know if the Ascendant Realm could be used to travel between dimensions. The short answer is yes, but probably not the way you are looking for."

"And what did you ask in return?" Selene asked.

"There was a Hive Knight that was growing in power and could possibly be next to take the throne. I asked Valentina to take care of it," Eris said.

"I heard she had a bit of trouble but managed to kill it," Selene said.

"That she did. She brought me this as proof," Eris said and showed Selene the parchment with Hive runes. "You have done well with that one." Selene shrugged. "I try anyway."

"Now, what brings you here?" Eris asked.

"Oh yes, my actual question. Right after we first breached the Dreadnaught, we found the Cabal were looking for Oryx and doing research on the Hive portals right? And then we found those statues that controlled where the portal led right? Would it be possible to just reprogram the portals to go where we want them to?" Selene asked.

Eris considered this for a moment. "I suppose it could be done, but the portals themselves lead to the Ascendant Realm. In order to change that, you would need to program the location of where you want to go."

"By the way, you've heard of the Spartans and how they got here right?" Selene asked. Eris nodded her head. "I have heard rumors, but not the full story."

"Oh you'll like this then. Apparently they came from another universe. How did they get here you ask? Well it seems they found a Hive portal on one of their distant worlds, activated it, then blew it up," Selene said and mimed an explosion with her hands.

Eris stopped and stared hard at Selene. "Is this true?"

Selene nodded. "Yep. The explosion damaged the portal, casing the Hive magic to go out of control. It created a black hole of sorts and brought them here. I found them on the Moon at the Shrine of Oryx." Eris nodded her head. "That would make sense. The Shrine acts as a long range communication device. It's possible its reach extends farther than we know."

Just then, the Tower PA system crackled to life. "Selene! I know you're in the Tower! Don't bother hiding and don't try to run. Amanda has orders to impound your ship. And she told us you were here. So, yeah. Come by and see me so I can get a look at your pretty face. Oh this is Cayde by the way, in case you didn't know."

Selene turned around and faced down the hallway. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" she shouted.

The PA squealed as Cayde spoke in the microphone. "Oh! You're already here? Great! Just come down here. There's no need to shout."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT CAYDE?" Selene shouted.

This time, Cayde shouted back. "GET DOWN HERE YA NERD!"

Selene turned back to Eris. "Sorry about that. But as far as reprograming the portals, I have an idea that might work."

"Very well. We shall discuss it later, after you have visited the Important One," Eris said. Selene chuckled to herself and walked down the long hallway to meet with the Vanguard. Zavala didn't look happy, Ikora was impossible to read, and Cayde seemed amused by something. "I'm here. What do you want?" Selene asked.

"We offered those newcomers our hospitality, but recent events have suggested perhaps they have overstayed their welcome," Zavala said.

"What did they do?" Selene asked.

"The Spartans themselves have not done anything outwardly, but the man who came with them, Doctor Chudnoffsky, I believe is his name?" Zavala said. Ikora nodded. "He has repeatedly interfered with Tower operations and was detained by the Reef after stowing away in a cargo shipment." At this Selene blinked several times in surprise. "He stowed away? Why?"

"He claimed it was for his research on the Awoken," Ikora said.

"Why? Couldn't he just go to the clinic or search old records for that?" Selene asked.

"As it turns out, he was asking different Awoken if they wanted to travel back with him and be a test subject, starting with Valentina. Real charmer, that one," Cayde added.

Selene found herself disliking Chudnoffsky more and more. "What do you want me to do about it? Make him disappear? Accidents happen all the time," she said with a shrug.

"What? No! We don't want you to make him disappear! We're not monsters here," Cayde said.

Zavala coughed lightly. "Yes. I know you've been searching for a way for them to go back to their world."

"No I haven't," Selene interrupted.

"As I was saying," Zavala started again, growing more irritated, "To put the Reef at further ease and avoid straining relations, we are making it a priority to send them back to where they come from. Guardian Selene, you are to lead your team and get this done."

"Why am I in charge?" Selene asked.

"Because you have the most experience," Cayde said. "I assured these two that you were the best Hunter for this mission."

"You're only saying that because I'm the one that found them," Selene said.

"Well that's part of it," Cayde admitted.

"Fine. I have an idea about this anyway," Selene said. "Where is the good doctor?"

"He's under house arrest in the apartment we loaned them," Zavala said. "Care to fill us in on your plan?"

"Not really. It's more of a hunch at this point. If it works, I'll let you know. If it doesn't, we might be dead so you'd never know," Selene said and walked out. She could hear Zavala give a long, exasperated sigh. "Hunters," he muttered.

"What? Don't look at me. You know how it is," Cayde defended himself. By now, Selene was out of earshot. "I'll be back. I'll let you know if my terrible idea works or not," she said to Eris.

"I shall await your return," Eris said. Selene bid her farewell and wandered off. She stopped at the Vault to get a few things out of storage before making her way to the apartments that the Spartans were staying at. She saw Saoirse standing guard outside. "Lemme guess. You got roped into this because you know these knuckleheads?" she asked.

Saoirse gasped. "How did you ever know?" she said sarcastically.

"Lucky guess," Selene replied. "Is the good doctor in?"

"Yeah, but he's not happy. Apparently the conditions for getting him out of jail was deleting all the information he had gained on the Reef."

"Why not all his data on the Awoken?" Selene asked. Saoirse shrugged. "I dunno. Anyway, why are you here?"

"I spoke to the Vanguard. Since the doctor has been causing problems, they want him gone," Selene said.

Saoirse looked around and leaned over to whisper in Selene's ear. "This area can be pretty rough. Does he need to have an accident?" Selene shook her head. "That's what I said and they told me no. All they want is to expedite getting them back home."

"How are we gonna do that?" Saoirse asked.

"I have an idea, but I need the doctor," Selene said. Saoirse stepped aside and waved her on. "Be my guest. Then I can get back to my other punishment."

"For what? That thing in the Tower the other day?" Selene asked and Saoirse nodded. "Instead of wall duty, they have me working with Vladimir. I always figured that guy had it rough, but I had no idea!"

"I tell you what, we'll talk about it after I get back," Selene said and went inside. Doctor Chudnoffsky was the only one home. The Spartans were off somewhere, probably in the Crucible. She found Chudnoffsky sulking in his room. She knocked on the door and said, "Mind if I come in?"

"Of course I mind! But I suppose you're just going to ignore me anyway," Chudnoffsky muttered. Selene shrugged and sat down in a chair. "I hear you've been pretty busy," she said.

"No thanks to you or your ilk," Chudnoffsky said.

"Well what did you think would happen? That you could just poke your nose into places it doesn't belong and get away with it? Do you not even think your actions have consequences?" Selene asked.

"Of course actions have consequences," Chudnoffsky said. "I fail to realize why my research is such a big deal."

"Well for one, you stowed away to the Reef. You're lucky Valentina was able to get you out," Selene said.

"But at what cost?" Chudnoffsky spat. "Since I've been here, you all have done nothing but hinder my research!"

"And I fail to see why you are so bent out of shape about this," Selene said. "There are rules to follow and you are breaking them. Hence, the situation you now find yourself in."

"All this could be avoided if that Awoken girl had just agreed to my terms. I don't see how she could be so unreasonable," Chudnoffsky said.

Selene blinked and stared hard at Chudnoffsky. "You don't understand why Valentina doesn't want to go back with you and be a science experiment?"

"She would be reasonably compensated," Chudnoffsky said. Selene un-holstered her hand cannon and set it firmly on the table. The barrel pointed ominously toward Chudnoffsky. "Are you threatening me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Not unless you want me to," Selene said. She sat back and crossed her arms. "I have a deal for you that probably doesn't end up in your death."

"I fail to see how that could possibly help me at the moment," Chudnoffsky said.

"I want to know about the portal you used to get here," Selene said.

"I've already told your Vanguard about what happened. What good will repeating old information do?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"You're a scientist right? How often have you stared at the same piece of data, only to suddenly come to a new conclusion?" Selene asked.

Chudnoffsky considered this. "What information could you possibly add?" he asked.

"What if I told you there are Hive portals here that work the same way as the portal you found?" Selene asked. "I assume your computer A.I. recorded all the information it could about the portal in your world yes?"

"That is correct, but I fail to see how that helps us here," Chudnoffsky said.

"The Hive portals are controlled by the statues. Think of them like a telephone number pad. Dial the right numbers and it connects you to who you want to talk to. In this case, I think we can use the portals as a gateway back to your world," Selene said.

"Even if that were true, the portal we used was blown up as a last resort," Chudnoffsky said. "Even if we were to dial the correct number as you say, there's no guarantee it will pick up on the other end."

"And that's why we try," Selene said. She leaned forward and carefully regarded the doctor. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but your stunt at the Reef has ruffled some feathers."

"Yes I know. I've been told this before," Chudnoffsky said dismissively.

"But did you know that the Vanguard has decided that relations with the Reef are more important than your life?" Selene said. This news caused Chudnoffsky to pause. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that if you keep up with this attitude of yours, you might find yourself on the wrong side of an unfortunate accident," Selene said simply.

Chudnoffsky was shocked. "You can't be serious!"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Selene replied. She slapped her thighs, rose to her feet and holstered her gun. "Go get ready Doc, we're taking a field trip."

"Where are we going?" Chudnoffsky asked carefully.

"To see about my terrible idea of course," Selene said. "Bring your A.I. friend too. That's going to be important." She saw the look Chudnoffsky was giving her. "Aw don't be that way Doc. It'll be fun! You'll get the chance to see what aliens here are like." Chudnoffsky grumbled to himself.

Selene loaned Chudnoffsky an extra set of armor, since she didn't have much confidence in the environmental suit he had been using. "Why would I need this?" he asked.

"The better to protect yourself," Selene replied.

"But this armor is for a woman!" Chudnoffsky replied.

"What's your point?" Selene asked. "Are you saying it's not good enough for you? Are you a sexist pig? Is that what you're saying?"

"What? What gave you that idea?" Chudnoffsky replied flabbergasted. Selene was secretly pleased how flustered the doctor was getting. _He's so easy_ , she thought

"Well since you're complaining so much, I guess you'll have to do without," Selene said.

"Okay! Fine! You win!" Chudnoffsky seethed and put on the armor. The doctor was not a large man by any means, but it was quite comical to see him wearing chest armor designed for someone with a more ample bust. Before she burst out laughing, Selene summoned Ghost to make some alterations. Using spinmetal and spare armor materials, Ghost shaped the armor to fit Chudnoffsky better. "Will this be to your liking?" Selene asked.

"I suppose this will suffice," Chudnoffsky grumbled. Now that the doctor was outfitted, Selene led him through the Tower to the hangar. They boarded her ship and Selene took off for the Dreadnaught. It was a bit cramped, but Chudnoffsky managed to squeeze into the seat behind Selene. They flew in silence, each considering their own thoughts.

As she approached the Dreadnaught, Selene called out, "Have a look Doc." She turned the ship, giving Chudnoffsky an excellent view during the approach.

"My god, what is that?" he asked.

"A Hive ship known as the Dreadnaught," Selene explained. "So long story short, that was the flagship of a Hive deity known as Oryx. He had a son named Crota that gave us fits on the Moon before a team of Guardians killed him. Big Pappi there wasn't too happy, so he showed up to cause trouble. Blah, blah, blah, stuff happened, blah, blah, blah, more stuff happened, and another team of Guardians killed Oryx for good. Now the Dreadnaught sits there."

"And that's where we are going?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Yep. Fun times," Selene said and steered closer. Before they reached the landing zone, Ghost materialized a sidearm from Selene's storage and Selene handed it back to Chudnoffsky. "Here. Hold this for me will ya?"

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked and held it gingerly in his hands.

"It's pretty dangerous down there, so I figured you should have something to protect yourself with," Selene said. "You don't seem like the active type, so anything bigger than a sidearm would probably be wasted on you."

"I'll have you know I am quite the accomplished marksman," Chudnoffsky huffed.

"Oh really? How many people have you shot with a gun?" Selene asked.

"Why, none! How could you even ask that question?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Have you ever shot anything that shot back?" Selene asked.

"Well, no," Chudnoffsky admitted.

"Have you ever shot anything that wasn't a paper target, or some other kind of target?" Selene asked.

"No," Chudnoffsky mumbled.

"So there you go. I don't know how you will react in the heat of a firefight, and I can't have you freak out and accidently shoot me instead. Therefore, you get a sidearm," Selene said with finality. Selene steered toward the landing zone. "You might feel a bit woozy," she said.

"What?" Chudnoffksy asked as Ghost transmatted them down to the Dreadnaught. Selene looked around and saw Chudnoffsky down on his hands and knees, making retching sounds.

"For the love of god, don't puke in your helmet!" Selene said. "If you do, you'll panic and try to take off your helmet. There's no air here, so you'll end up killing yourself in the vacuum of space. Not a pleasant way to go."

"You could have warned me," Chudnoffsky said and rose shakily to his feet. He noticed Selene was wearing a different helmet than normal. This one was white and gold with black highlights and looked like the head of a bird. "What helmet is that?" he asked.

"Um, I did warn you and this helmet is Celestial Nighthawk," Selene said. She went through her guns and made sure they were good to go. "There hasn't been a lot of activity recently, but you can never be too careful." She handed Chudnoffsky several spare magazines for his sidearm. "You've got fifteen rounds in that thing. It has a pretty quick rate of fire, so be careful or you'll burn all of your ammo." Chudnoffsky worked the sidearm to get a feel for it. "I guess you weren't kidding," Selene said. Chudnoffsky glared at her. "What's wrong with it?"

"What do you mean?" Selene asked.

He held out the sidearm and showed her. "What's with all these strange wires and protrusions?"

"Oh. It's just been modified with a nanotechnology known as SIVA. It helps increase the weapon's performance. Have no fear Doc. It's not going to explode on you or anything. If you're ready, just follow me," Selene said and set out with Chudnoffsky close behind. He looked back at the giant hole in the side of the ship and the surrounding devastation. "What happened here?" he asked.

"Near as we can tell, the Cabal crashed a landing ship in the side of the Dreadnaught to act as a beachhead," Selene said.

"That seems a bit outrageous," Chudnoffsky said.

"Well no one ever said the Cabal were a bunch of geniuses," Selene said. Off to the right was an entry way, but Selene didn't go that way. Instead, she went straight and through a little trench that had been cut out of the ground. An engine of the crashed Cabal ship loomed ominously overhead, sparking and sputtering flames. Chudnoffsky followed nervously behind. "I don't see anything so we should be good for now," Selene said.

"Where are we going?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"To a section called the Mausoleum," Selene said. Chudnoffsky looked around and took note of their surroundings. The architecture reminded him of classical Gothic cathedrals with sharp edges and points. Lighting was provided by chandeliers hanging far above and bioluminescent moss. Chudnoffsky found a broken column and went to investigate. "Interesting. This doesn't appear to have been carved from any type of known tools. And the structure isn't like any material I've ever seen before."

Selene looked back and saw Chudnoffsky investigating some rocks. "Would you believe me if I told you that Oryx carved this entire ship out of the skeleton of a Hive god?"

"What? That's preposterous!" Chudnoffsky said.

Selene shrugged. "Believe it or don't, but if that doesn't look like the inside of a bone, I don't know what does." Chudnoffsky warily turned back to the column he was investigating. Now that Selene had mentioned it, it DID have similar structure as a bone. Selene grabbed Chudnoffsky by the collar and drug him along.

The makeshift hallway narrowed as they passed through a doorway and entered a large chamber. In the center was a raised platform with the portal on it. Just beyond that, the floor dropped down into an endless chasm. The walls seemed to stretch on forever, but was probably just a trick of the light and how vast this place truly was. Little alcoves dotted the sides and tunnels led to different locations in the Dreadnaught. "What is the purpose of this place?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"You might find this hard to believe since you scoff at religion and magic and other, unquantifiable things, but Oryx used the Dreadnaught as his base of operations. Since he was what the Hive consider a god, he anchored his Ascendant Realm to this ship and used it to wage war across multiple solar systems," Selene said.

"You're right. I do find that hard to believe," Chudnoffsky said. "But an argument could be made that perhaps some things are beyond my current understanding."

"I bet that's as close as I'll get to an apology, so I'll take it," Selene said. The front end of the Cabal ship loomed overhead as she led Chudnoffsky through the ruins to the left side of the Mausoleum and up a series of stairs. "Where are we going?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Well, there's more than one portal here on the Dreadnaught. We'll use this one to experiment on, since it's out of the way," Selene said.

"Somehow I doubt that very much," Chudnoffsky said. Selene walked up a final set of stairs to a raised circular platform. At the front edge was familiar statue. "I've seen this before," he said.

"I figured that was the case," Selene said. "Why don't you pull out your little A.I. friend." Chudnoffsky grudgingly reached into his bag and pulled out his tablet. The power blinked on and Reginald appeared. "What is this place?" he asked, looking around.

"It appears to be an alien stronghold," Chudnoffsky said.

"How did we find ourselves here?" Reginald asked.

"Not by choice, that's for sure," Chudnoffsky said. Selene leaned forward. "Hey there."

"Hello yourself," Reginald said.

"I heard you had a run-in with Valkyrie," Selene said.

"Indeed. And she was most disagreeable," Reginald said.

"Well she certainly can be," Selene agreed. "I would like you to do something for me."

"And what would that be?" Reginald asked.

"Do you remember the portal you used to get here?" Selene asked.

"Of course. I am unlikely to forget such a traumatic experience," Reginald said.

"I would like to see all the information you have on the portal and any statues like this one," Selene said and pointed.

Reginald looked and nodded. "I think I can do that." His form flashed and he held up a folder. "This is everything regarding the portal I was able to gather in my short time attached to the computer system." Selene held out her hand and Ghost appeared. Reginald's form turned red and he drew his cane sword. "I think you'll find me better prepared this time," he threatened.

"Cute. An A.I. that thinks it's a tough guy," Ghost scoffed. "I've dealt with A.I. vastly more powerful than you."

"Play nice," Selene warned. "He's still traumatized from what Valkyrie did to him."

"Yes Mom," Ghost muttered as it scanned the tablet.

"Well now. I guess you Ghosts can be reasonable," Reginald said.

After several moments, Ghost finished the scan. "I'm quite impressed they were able to get so much data. I don't know how well it will work though."

"Well that's what we're here for," Selene said. Ghost finished the scan and hovered over to the statue. "Let's see if I can alter the signature of this statue to match one of the recorded statues." Ghost said. It took several scans as Selene and Chudnoffsky waited. "Okay. I think this will work. Now for the others."

"What others?" Chudnoffsky asked.

"Originally, there were three statues that controlled this portal. But since the Cabal ship crashed and made a mess of everything, the statues were scattered. They should be in this room though," Selene said and looked around. After a few moments, Selene pointed behind them and said, "There's one."

Chudnoffsky peered over the side of the platform, but didn't see a statue. "Why do these things always seem to happen to me," he grumbled. As he looked up, he saw the last statue under the nose of the Cabal ship. "It seems we missed that on our way in," he said.

Selene and Ghost went to the second statue and Ghost started its scans. "Okay. Just one more."

Chudnoffsky watched idly as Selene and her Ghost ran about. Perhaps he was thinking about this all wrong. Instead of trying to take his research back to his colleagues, he should bring his colleagues to his research. This way he would gain even more prestige for being an ambassador to a new world. The book offers and speaking engagements would drastically increase. This thought pleased him greatly.

Ghost scanned the final statue. "Okay. Based on the notes from the previous mission, one of the statues was dead, but the portal responded anyway. I've made the alterations, so the next thing to do is wait, I guess."

Selene climbed up to the center platform and watched the portal. At first, nothing happened.

"Do you see anything?" Chudnoffsky called out.

"Not yet Doc," Selene replied. "Be ready for anything." She pulled her hand cannon and Chudnoffsky fumbled for his sidearm. For once he was glad to be wearing gloves, otherwise his sweaty palms would lessen his grip on the weapon.

Still, nothing happened. "Huh. Well I guess this was a bust," Ghost said.

"Are you sure ALL of the statues are working?" Selene asked.

"Yes, ALL of the statues are working," Ghost replied. "I made sure of that."

Cautiously, Selene approached the portal. She noticed a faint white light she hadn't seen before. Inexplicably, she reached out to touch it.

"What are you doing?" Ghost hissed.

"I dunno," Selene replied and her fingers brushed the light. Instantly, the portal sprang to life, knocking Selene back. "Are you okay?" Ghost asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Selene said and brushed herself off. She stared up at the now active portal with her hands on her hips. "I'm not gonna lie. I didn't think we'd get this far."

"Well now what?" Ghost asked.

"I don't suppose you have any drones or remote control devices, do you?" Selene asked.

"Nope. I'm fresh out of those," Ghost said.

"You are an imbecile!" Chudnoffsky shouted. He hadn't moved from the first statue.

"Relax Doc. I don't see you doing anything about it," Selene called back. She picked up a stone, hefted it in her hand, and tossed it at the portal. It hit the barrier around the portal and bounced off. "Hmm. Seems like we still need to pass as Ascendant Hive to enter the portal."

"How are we going to do that?" Ghost asked.

"Luckily, I still have a piece of that shard with Crota's essence," Selene said.

"Oh. That's right," Ghost said. "So what do you want to do? Poke your head in and say hello?"

"That's not a terrible idea," Selene said.

"That's a terrible idea!" Chudnoffsky shouted.

"I still don't see you helping!" Selene replied.

"Um, before you do anything drastic, maybe you should take care of that first," Ghost said in a quaking voice. A shadow fell over Selene and she turned and looked up to see a giant Hive Ogre looming above as it emerged from the portal. "Yeah. I suppose you're right Ghost," Selene said simply.

Chudnoffsky watched in horror as the Ogre raised its fists and slammed them on the ground, crushing Selene in the process. The Ogre leaned back and let out a loud roar. A series of shrill cries answered and Acolytes and Thrall appeared out of the side alcoves.

Despite himself, Chudnoffsky started to tremble. The Hive soldiers hadn't seen him yet, but they were quickly coming up the stairs. Chudnoffsky took stock of his situation took cover behind the statue. He might take a few of them by surprise, but once he started shooting, they would certainly come after him. A group of Thrall and an Acolyte ran up to the platform where he was hiding behind the statue. One of the Thrall was very close to the statue and seemed to be sniffing around. The Acolyte seemed distracted by something on the center platform.

Chudnoffsky tried to slow his breathing and raised a shaking hand to draw a bead on the Thrall. It was close, close enough that he could reach out and touch it. The analytical, scientist part of his brain actually tried to convince him to do just that. It didn't make sense. Why would he want to reach out and touch that little monster? Selene's words came back to him. No, he had never killed anything. No, he had never shot anything that was trying to kill him. And for some reason, this godforsaken hellhole with monsters he didn't understand seemed like the perfect place to start. Chudnoffsky scoffed at himself.

Before he could pull the trigger, there was a flash of golden light from the center platform. He turned to look and saw a figure that looked like Selene bathed in fire. The ogre roared and raised its fists in the air. Like a gunslinger out of the Old West, Selene calmly raised her flaming hand cannon and fired a massive fireball right in the Ogre's face. The Ogre roared in pain as it melted from the heat of the fire and collapsed into a pile of burning embers. The flames surrounding Selene died out and her hand cannon reverted to normal.

Chudnoffsky watched the scene unfold, his mouth agape. He had heard stories in the Tower about the Guardians, their Light and their abilities, but this was his first time seeing it in person. Now he had even more questions. Selene's actions had clearly gotten the Hive's attention. All of the Acolytes started shooting and the Thrall started chasing after her.

If she was nervous, Selene didn't show it. She calmly drew on the approaching Thrall and gunned them all down. She turned and started shooting at the Acolytes, one by one. Chudnoffsky peeked around the corner and saw the Thrall had all left, leaving the lone Acolyte to shoot at Selene from a distance. Sweat dripped down his face and Chudnoffsky wished he could wipe it away. He held his sidearm with two hands and pulled the trigger. The recoil was lighter than he expected, but the action surprised him and his shot missed high. The Acolyte turned in Chudnoffsky's direction and pointed its weapon in his directon. Now panicking, Chudnoffsky pointed his weapon in the direction of the Acolyte and pulled the trigger as fast as he could until the weapon locked open. Some of the bullets missed, but enough of them hit the Acolyte, throwing it off balance and a lucky shot pierced its head, killing it.

Breathing heavily and with shaking hands, Chudnoffsky ejected the empty magazine and inserted a new one. Selene was right. He wasn't cut out for combat. Academia was his calling and he only picked up shooting as a hobby to impress his peers. He heard footsteps and hastily pointed his weapon.

"Easy Doc. The hard part is over," Selene said, approaching slowly and with her hands raised. Chudnoffsky sighed with deep relief and came out of hiding. Selene turned to the pile of dust that was the remains of the Acolyte he had killed. "Nice job. I'm actually a little impressed."

"Is that so?" Chudnoffsky asked. He suddenly felt drained as he came down off his adrenaline high. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Well we proved it could work, but we weren't able to look through the portal," Selene said. "The Hive kinda ruined our chance."

"We should go back to the Vanguard and report our findings," Ghost said, appearing over Selene's shoulder. Selene nodded in reply and looked back to Chudnoffsky. "I think the good doctor has had enough excitement for one day."

"That was certainly NOT exciting," Chudnoffsky said. "How did you survive getting pounded by that Ogre? I thought you were dead."

"Well sorry to disappoint you Doc, but there was a hole in the floor behind me and I slipped through at the last second," Selene said. Chudnoffsky shrugged and held his weapon out to Selene. "Nah. You should hang on to it," Selene said. After a moment of hesitation, Chudnoffsky slowly slipped it back in his holster.

Thankfully, the trek back to the landing zone was uneventful. Selene called her ship and they flew back to the Tower.


	13. Seesion 12: Saoirse

**INTERVIEWER:** There is something that is bothering me.

 **SAOIRSE:** Oh really? I didn't do it.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Perhaps not, but it is related to you.

 **SAOIRSE:** I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of any weapons of mass destruction here or on any Tower property. Any further questions can be submitted to the Vanguard to be answered between now and never.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What?

 **SAOIRSE:** Plausible deniability. I know nothing.

 **INTERVIEWER:** That's not what was bothering me.

 **SAOIRSE:** Oh.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What is bothering me, is why are you here?

 **SAOIRSE:** In this tiny room? Because you put us here.

 **INTERVIEWER:** No. If everything was as bad as you say, why take the chance and travel here with the Spartans?

 **SAOIRSE:** Well the simple reason is, I wasn't done kicking Steve's ass.

 **INTERVIEWER:**...

 **SAOIRSE:** I take it that's not the reason you're looking for?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Just from talking to you, it seems that Selene is the de-facto leader of your little band.

 **SAOIRSE:** I suppose you could say that.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But from what we've seen and heard from Selene, she doesn't seem like the person who would inspire such loyalty. If anything, we don't understand why you would follow her in the first place. She displays none of the classic leadership traits.

 **SAOIRSE:** Well that's your problem.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What is?

 **SAOIRRSE:** You think that leadership is only defined by certain traits that psychologists and retired military leaders have written about. I suppose you think that we're all brain-washed or delusional in some sense. And you're right. Who in their right mind would willingly follow a Hunter?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Exactly my point. From what we've learned, a Hunter would be most likely to pull a stunt like this. Aren't you Titans defenders of your City and walls? Aren't the Warlocks instrumental in discovering and understanding the power your Traveler possesses? Why abandon all of that?

 **SAOIRSE:** Because I trust Selene and she has never knowingly steered us wrong before. We've gotten into some pretty crazy situations, but never did I think we wouldn't make it.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But why? Why do you have such faith in her?

 **SAOIRSE:** Because she has experience. There are certain people who don't seem like much, but they have this presence about them that makes you want to follow them, that inspires confidence. Selene is the only person, let alone Hunter, that I would ever say that about.

 **INTERVIEWER:** _(shakes head)_ That doesn't seem like a very good reason.

 **SAOIRSE:** Then I don't know what else to tell you. Plus she made it sound like we were doing the City a service by coming here.

 **INTERVIEWER:** In what way?

 **SAOIRSE:** It makes sense when you think about it. If we are able to routinely travel from here to there, perhaps we could reach an agreement or alliance of sorts. Help us with your problems, we'll help you with yours.

 **INTERVIEWER:** It seems that your City would benefit the most from that arrangement. We have better technology and the overall better situation. How would you expect us to send resources to support a losing cause?

 **SAOIRSE:** _(fists slam on table)_ I will tolerate many things, but looking down on us is not one of them.

 **INTERVIEWER:** I didn't mean to upset you. Let's change the subject a little.

 **SAOIRSE:** Don't think this means I forgive you for your comments.

 **INTERVIEWER:** _(clears throat)_ Selene's test with the portal proved successful. What was the delay after that?

 **SAOIRSE:** Well, I wasn't there, but from what I heard they activated the portal, but weren't able to send anything through. You know, to make sure we hadn't accidently opened a portal to Hell and allowed the souls of the dammed to escape.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So where were you while this was going on?

 **SAOIRSE:** Back in the Tower. I was still in trouble and serving out my punishment.

* * *

"This sucks _so_ bad!" Saoirse complained. She sat in a chair and hit the back of her head against the wall. Part of her punishment for losing control of her Solar abilities in the Tower was working with Vladimir in the prison. It was as terrible as Saoirse thought it would be.

"Then perhaps you should not be getting into trouble so much," Vladimir replied. His accent made him hard to understand sometimes. Saoirse huffed loudly. "How much longer do I have to be here?"

"Until Vanguard say so," Vladimir replied. He looked at the clock and rose to his feet. "Come with."

Reluctantly, Saoirse stood up and followed Vladimir through the bowels of the Tower. "Where are we going?" Saoirse asked.

"I will show you the real reason for prison," Vladimir said. The area referred to as the Tower Prison wasn't well lit to begin with, but as Vladimir led Saoirse deeper inside, the lights appeared less and less, forcing the Ghosts to act as flashlights.

"Normally, the Tower banishes people who are seen as dangerous, like the Warlock Osiris. Or people just disappear, like Dredgen Yor," Vladimir said.

"Then why go through all this then?" Saoirse asked. There was little air flow and the walls were coated with condensation, further adding to the creepy atmosphere.

"This was all done for one person," Vladimir said. Saoirse stopped. "One person? Why? What did they do?" she asked.

"Not my place to say," Vladimir said with a shrug. "The person in question agreed to this punishment."

"So why haven't they escaped? Clearly this person is dangerous. Better yet, why would they even agree to this?" Saoirse asked. "This story doesn't make sense."

"Doesn't have to make sense," Vladimir said, turning back to face her. "This is how it is."

"Sounds like an ass-pull of an excuse if you ask me," Saoirse grumbled. Vladimir shrugged and said, "Not my place to question."

Numerous thoughts played out across Saoirse's face, but she said nothing. Vladimir waved her forward and Saoirse reluctantly followed. Before long, they came to a large metal door. It looked like an old bank vault door, complete with a hand wheel in the center. Large metal studs kept the door locked in place in addition to the internal locking mechanism. Due to the dampness, the door appeared to be covered in rust. To the side was a keypad and small screen. On the other side was a small sliding door. Vladimir opened the door and a plastic tube retracted. "I do this once a day," he said and dropped two suppression grenades inside. He closed the door and the tube dropped down. There was a sucking sound and the grenades disappeared up the tube.

"I get it now. It's like those old bank teller vacuum thingies," Saoirse said. A few moments later there was faint _THUMP_ as the grenades exploded. "What was that? How does this thing work anyway?"

"Inside cell is special Void energy projector. Suppresses Light and abilities. I use grenades to keep it charged," Vladimir said.

Saoirse didn't know what to think. "This is pretty elaborate just to keep one person locked up." She leaned in close and asked, "Who is it?"

Vladimir shook his head. "I don't know, but I am told Selene does."

"Really?" Saoirse asked. Vladimir nodded his head. "But you didn't hear that from me."

"Is it that big of a secret?" Saoirse asked. "Why you? How did you get tasked with this thankless job?"

Vladimir stared up at the door. "I was asked to." And that's all he would say about it. Vladimir and Saoirse walked back to the main area. "Why is it just you? Do you ever get any help?" she asked.

"You know the story. Only a small number of people know the true purpose of the prison. Everyone else sees it as boring Titan duty," Vladimir said.

"So why tell me about it?" Saoirse said. Vladimir shrugged. "Because you are down here so much. Because you are friends with Selene. Because someone will have to take over for me someday."

"And you think it should be me?" Saoirse asked. Vladimir shrugged in reply. "You can go now. Your shift is over." Saoirse gave him a sideways look and left. After what had happened, there was a lot to process. Saoirse wasn't quite sure what to think. Should she ask Selene? Probably not. Getting answers from Selene was like squeezing water from a rock.

"Are you seriously considering his offer?" Musashi asked. Saoirse thought a moment longer. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But the idea of being stuck in the Tower doesn't appeal to me," she said. "I'd go stir crazy if I couldn't get out and do stuff, like kill people in Crucible, or punch Vandals in the face, or shoot Minotaurs. That's a lot to give up."

"Perhaps, but it would be for the greater good," Musashi said.

"The greater good? When did the greater good actually serve more than a handful of people?" Saoirse said. "Anyone who says that is incredibly arrogant to think they know what's best for multitudes of people."

"Like Executor Hideo and New Monarchy?" Mushashi asked. "They aren't exactly subtle with their ideas. Their goal is right in the name."

Saoirse stopped and put her hands on her hips. "I don't exactly agree with everything New Monarchy believes, but they do have some good points."

"Is that why you chose to represent them?" Musashi asked.

"Partially. As Titans, we're trained from a young age that protecting the City is our highest priority, and New Monarchy does mostly align with that ideal," Saoirse said. "And the fact their colors are red and white and my favorite color is red certainly helps."

Musashi sighed. "I wonder about you sometimes."

Saoirse looked around. "Let's go see if Val is home since she lives close to here," she said and altered course.

As she drew closer to Valentina's house, Saoirse could hear music being played and felt rumbling in her chest. She put her hand on the door and felt the vibrations. Saoirse frowned. Valentina didn't normally play her music this loud. She tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. Rolling her eyes, Saoirse opened the door and was met with a virtual wall of sound. Completely unexpected, the power chords assaulted her eardrums and caused her physical pain. Saoirse quickly covered hear ears, but that didn't help very much. She stumbled inside and looked around in a daze. Valentina's apartment was normally cluttered, but it had gotten worse since the last time Saoirse had visited. The vibrations had knocked over the shelves and equipment littered the floor. Saoirse found Valentina facing a wall of speakers and strumming furiously on her guitar. Saoirse wasn't sure if everything was shaking or just her eyeballs. Probably a bit of both. She looked around deliriously for the plug or power switch or something, and eventually settled on pulling the cord out of Valentina's guitar. The speakers made a loud _POP_ and the noise mercifully died.

Valentina quickly turned on Saoirse. "What did you do?"

"WHAT?" Saoirse shouted. Her ears were ringing loudly and she could barely hear anything.

"Why did you do that?" Valentina shouted.

"WHAT?" Saoirse shouted.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Valentina screamed angrily in Saoirse's face. Saoirse was shocked. "WHY ARE YOU MAD?" she shouted back.

"You're interrupting me!" Valentina said. Her eyes flared and she stomped her foot angrily.

"YOU'RE GONNA SHAKE THE TOWER DOWN WITH YOUR CRAZY NOISE!" Saoirse said. Her hearing was starting to come back, but the pounding in her skull only got worse.

Valentina glared at Saoirse as she grabbed the audio cable and plugged it back into her guitar. The speakers popped and started to hum loudly. She raised her hand high in the air and before she could start strumming again, Saoirse quickly pulled the cord. Valentina quickly turned on Saoirse, face twisted in anger. "What do you want?"

Saoirse frowned. "What's going on with you? Why are you so…angry?"

Valentina snatched the cable from Saoirse. "What are you, my mother?"

"I don't know. Should I be?" Saoirse asked. Her curiosity was quickly turning to annoyance. "What's gotten into you?"

Valentina continued to glare at Saoirse. "I don't know why you keep treating me like a small child. I'm a big girl and can make my own decisions."

"You're right. You are a big girl, but right now you're acting like a small child having a tantrum," Saoirse growled.

Staring angrily at Saoirse, Valentina deliberately plugged the cord back into her guitar. Before she could do anything, Saoirse picked up the cable and ripped it in half. The speakers squealed in protest and fell sllent.

Valentina's eyes went wide. "You owe me for that."

"I don't owe you shit. You've been acting weird ever since we got back from Io," Saoirse said.

Valentina trembled with rage. "Why are you even here right now?" she said through clenched teeth.

"I just got off duty and decided to drop by and say hello. I didn't expect you to be acting like a spoiled bitch," Saoirse said.

"And why not? This is my house and I can do what I want," Valentina replied.

"Not at the expense of others," Saoirse replied. She drew up to her full height and stood over Valentina. "What is this? You've gained a new power and let it go to your head?"

Valentina stared defiantly up at Saoirse. "You can't threaten me. I'm my own person and I don't need you lording over me all the time."

Saoirse was confused. "When have I ever done that?"

"All the time!" Valentina replied, waving her arms about. "Selene is the only one who treats me like an adult. You and everyone else act like I'm a small child to be protected at all costs. How does that help me in the Real World?"

"Is that what this is about? You think we're all smothering you?" Saoirse asked.

Valentina put her hands on her hips and sneered at Saoirse. "I wouldn't say it if it weren't true."

"So says you," Saoirse retorted.

Valentina rolled her eyes and dismissed Saoirse with a wave. "Whatever. Are you done? If so, leave me alone." She reached into a drawer and pulled out a new cable.

"I'd think very carefully about your next course of action if I were you," Saoirse said. Her voice was even with a dangerous edge.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?" Valentina asked.

"Try me and find out," Saoirse replied. She was clearly confused. Why was Valentina acting like this? This was completely out of character for her. Saoirse wasn't sure she liked this new attitude.

Valentina calmly unwound the cable, plugged on end into her guitar, pulled the remains of the old cable out of her pedalboard, and inserted the new cable. Without missing a beat, Saoirse turned and punched the speaker stack as hard as she could, completely shattering one and heavily damaging the others. Valentina's eyes went wide with shock. "Wha-what have you done?" she gasped.

"I don't know. Ruined your stuff," Saoirse replied with a shrug. Fire raged in Valentina's eyes as she ripped off her guitar and knocked Saoirse back with a blast of Void energy. Saoirse flew across the room and made a large hole in the wall. Valentina quickly jumped after her and clamped down on her throat. Saoirse was caught completely unawares. She tried to loosen Valentina's grip, but her hand was like a vice. Her precarious situation also made it difficult to throw Valentina off.

With her face full of malice, Valentina raised her other hand and brought it close to Saoirse's face. Void energy surrounded Valentina's hand and Saoirse could feel her strength leaving her body. With her vision fading fast, Saoirse gathered what Light she could and punched Valentina in the stomach, releasing a very weak Fist of Havoc. Valentina flew across the room and landed in the remains of the speaker stack with a crash.

Breathing heavily, Saoirse struggled to a sitting position. How had this happened? What were they even fighting about? Valentina rose to her feet and they locked eyes. The fog of rage cleared from Valentina's face and she looked around in horror. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "What have I done?"

Saoirse sighed heavily and groaned. "I think we screwed up."

Choking back a sob, Valentina ran out of the house. All of the energy seemed to seep out of Saoirse's body and she fell back. "That's fine. I'm just gonna lie here for a minute," she mumbled and closed her eyes.

Mercifully, when Saoirse opened her eyes again it was dark out. She lay there and took stock of her situation. She wasn't dead because everything hurt. Saoirse twitched her fingers and they moved. Good. She wiggled her toes and they moved. Good. Saoirse let out a painful groan and rolled over to her side. Bits of wood and drywall rained down on her as she moved and disturbed her debris pile. Letting out a long breath, Saoirse pushed herself up to a sitting position. Valentina's house was pretty ruined. It looked like a Fallen cache of Golden Age tech. She had half a mind to just suicide herself and let Musashi resurrect her. Maybe she would feel better afterword.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Musashi said as he appeared.

"Why not? It seems like a pretty good idea right now," Saoirse groaned. "What happened anyway?"

"Well it looked to me that you and Valentina got into a bit of an altercation and she beat you pretty good," Musashi said.

"Yeah. I gathered that much," Saoirse said. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to placate the Ogres rampaging in her skull.

"It was very strange. Valentina was using her Energy Drain ability, but not in any way that I've seen before," Musashi said.

"It felt like she was trying to suck my soul out," Saoirse said. She patted herself down to make sure the rest of her was intact.

"What should we do?" Musashi asked. Saoirse gathered her strength and shakily rose to her feet. She put her hand out to support herself while the world stopped spinning, but she grasped only air and fell down again. "I think you should take it easy for a while," he added.

"What do you think I've been doing?" Saoirse grumbled. She tried again and managed to stay on her feet this time.

"You really need to lie down," Musashi insisted. "I don't know what Valentina's Energy Drain did to you, but it's going to take you some time to recover."

"I don't have time for that nonsense," Saoirse muttered and stumbled her way through Valentina's apartment. She shut the door behind her and made sure it was locked this time.

"Where are you going?" Musashi asked.

"Where else? To find Valentina," Saoirse replied.

Musashi buzzed about nervously. "I insist you need to rest and recover."

"And you need to give it a rest!" Saoirse replied. "Man. Is today 'Annoy the Piss out of Saoirse Day' and I didn't get the memo?"

"I only have your best interests at heart," Musashi replied dejectedly.

Saoirse sighed. "I know little buddy. I know." Musashi followed close behind as Saoirse wandered through the tower. The first place she went was the Library, but Shiera said Valentina hadn't been in for some time. Saoirse thanked her and left.

"Well that was a bust. Can we go home now?" Musahsi asked.

"Not yet," Saoirse said.

"Why not?" Musashi whined, causing Saoirse to wince. "C'mon, ease up will ya? I just got the Ogres to stop beating my brains to jello."

Saoirse then went to the Tower, thinking Valentina might have taken her ship and left, but Amanda said she hadn't seen her either. Before leaving the Hangar, Saoirse went up the stairs to visit Future War Cult, but Lakshmi-2 said Valentina hadn't stopped by in several days. Saoirse then went down below to the lounge, but found it surprisingly empty. Saoirse left the Hangar and went back out to the main plaza and leaned against the railing to look out over the City. The sun had long set and the Traveler was aglow from the lights of the buildings below it. Far above in the sky, the moon was half full and just starting to rise.

"If I were a sad, angry Warlock, where would I hide?" Saoirse muttered to herself.

"Far away from you," Selene said. Saoirse turned her head and watched the Exo Hunter approach. "I see. Come to rub it in then?"

Selene shook her head. "Not this time. I just got back and was about to leave again. Did something happen?"

"Well," Saoirse rubbed her head sheepishly and told Selene her tale. Selene said nothing and stared out over the City. "I was afraid something like this might happen," she said.

"Because of the whole Void thing?" Saoirse said. Selene nodded and turned to face Saoirse. "Speaking of which, have YOU learned your Defender abilities?"

"Nah, not really," Saoirse replied with a shrug. "I mean, a bubble shield is useful after all, but it isn't really my style. I'd rather get in and mix things up a bit."

"Sure, but how many times have we gotten into trouble and someone said, 'Gee, I wish we had a Defender Titan right about now,'" Selene asked. Saoirse rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But it's Void." She propped herself against the railing and turned to face Selene. "How do you do it?"

"I'll give you the cliff notes of the speech I gave to Valentina about the Void. The key is to show no fear. And the second thing is, you just have to experience it to understand it," Selene said.

Saoirse nodded her head and mulled Selene's words over in her mind. "Surprisingly, that makes a lot of sense," she said. "Wanna help me look for Valentina?"

Selene shook her head. "This is your mess. You clean it up, but it sounds like both of you were in the wrong."

Another thought struck Saoirse. "Hey, when was the last time you used your Gunslinger?" she asked.

"Just recently. Why?" Selene asked.

Saoirse blew out a breath and rubbed her head. "How do you keep your Solar abilities under control?"

"Ah. I see what this is about," Selene said. "Well, think about it like this. Solar is like fire right?"

"Right," Saoirse agreed.

"And fire is probably the most important discovery in human history," Selene said. "When used properly and in a controlled manner, it can be the giver of life. But fire has a terrible secret. It's a wild beast that doesn't like to be contained. If you are careless, it will flare up and destroy you. Now Solar is the spark that resides in your soul, a burning flame. You must foster that flame and let it grow, but if you lose control it will burn you."

Saoirse thought about this. "That kinda makes sense. But how do you keep it from getting out of control?"

Selene placed her hand on Saoirse's shoulder. "Honestly? I think this will be quite difficult for you since you are a very passionate person and Solar will feed off your emotions. When you become enraged and lose control of yourself, your flame will become equally destructive. You have to find that thin line between not enough and too much."

"I figured that," Saoirse muttered.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Selene said. "It just takes time and practice."

"Clearly you've never met me, but I'm not a very patient person," Saoirse replied.

"Then think of it as proof of your growth as a person," Selene said. "I'm not saying you need to change who you are, but consider who you want to be in the future and work toward that."

"Yeah, I suppose," Saoirse said and turned back to look over the City. "I don't know about you Hunters, but sometimes, I feel like I'm not living up to what a Titan should be."

"You mean like the Titans of legend like Saint-14, Wei Ning, Lady Jolder, and all them?" Selene asked. "I wouldn't worry too much about them."

"Why not?" Saoirse asked.

"Well if they were as great as their legends say, they wouldn't be dead," Selene said, rather bluntly.

Saoirse's temper flared and her eyes narrowed, but she forced herself to consider Selene's words. "I suppose there's a point to be made there," she said grudgingly.

"I'm not insulting Titans. I've seen Titans do incredible things, but don't let the past weigh down your future," Selene said. "Look to the past and learn from those who came before. There's a reason you're here and they're not."

"Only because I wasn't resurrected as a Guardian back then," Saoirse grumbled.

"I knew Wei Ning. She was certainly as impressive as the stories say. But she was very proud and very stubborn. It's not exactly clear how Wei Ning died, but I imagine she was doing what she thought was right," Selene said. "Like I said, learn from the past and be your own person."

"But change is hard," Saoirse mumbled.

"That's why it's the mother of Chaos," Selene said. "No one said change was easy. If it was, everyone would do it. It's on you if you want to change or not." She gave Saoirse a pat on the shoulder and walked off. "Oh a little birdy told me Valentina was up on the Traveler's Walk," she called over her shoulder and pointed. "But you didn't hear that from me."

Saoirse watched her leave. For a Hunter, Selene made a lot of sense sometimes. She turned around a looked across the plaza. In the back was the entryway that led to the area known as Traveler's Walk. Before Felwinter Peak was retaken, Lord Saladin would come to the Traveler once a month to hold the Iron Banner tournament. His usual spot was up in Traveler's Walk. Saoirse rubbed her head vigorously and growled to herself. "This sucks!"

She was at a loss about what to do. Well, not exactly. Saoirse _knew_ what she was supposed to do, but she wasn't sure how to go about doing it. A few more moments agonizing over her thoughts, she decided _Screw it_ and just went for it.

Saoirse walked up the stairs and through the entryway. The Traveler's Walk was empty except for one person sitting on the far railing. Saoirse threw her shoulders back and proceeded forward with as much confidence as she could muster.

The Traveler's Walk was technically right above the Hall of Guardians where the Vanguard had their table. The view from this part of the Tower looked out to the mountains and one of the passes the Fallen used during Six Fronts and Twilight Gap. Heavy artillery cannons pointed out, hoping they will never be used again. Saoirse leaned against the railing, leaving space between herself and Valentina. After a while, Valentina asked in a quiet voice, "How did you find me?"

Saoirse shrugged. "Wasn't hard really."

"Selene told you, didn't she," Valentina guessed.

"Was it that obvious?" Saoirse asked. Valentina said nothing. Saoirse sighed and looked at her boots. "Look. I'm sorry for overreacting and breaking your stuff," she said.

Valentina turned and gave Saoirse an icy glare. "Typical Titan, whose only option to a problem is to punch it in the face."

Saoirse shrugged. "If violence isn't solving your problems, you aren't using enough of it."

"And now did that work out for you in this situation?" Valentina asked, raising her voice.

Saoirse stepped back. "What's gotten into you? Did you hit puberty all of a sudden? Is it that time of the month? Do you even _have_ a that time of the month?"

"What do you think?" Valentina shouted.

"I don't know! That's why I'm asking!" Saoirse shouted back. Valentina jumped to her feet, balancing precariously on the railing. "What about you, knucklebrains? Do _you_ have a that time of the month?"

"Of course I do! I might be a resurrected Guardian, but I'm still a woman!" Saoirse argued.

"Then there's your answer. And no, it's not my time of the month," Valentina said.

Saoirse scowled at Valentina. "You know what? Selene doesn't know how good she has it. She's an Exo, and I'm pretty sure they don't have a time of the month."

Valentina made a slightly disgusted face. "Ugh. Could you even imagine if they did?"

"I mean, have you ever seen an Exo bleed? What's it like? Is it like, radiator fluid or something?" Saoirse asked.

Valentina shrugged. "I don't know. We could always ask her,"

"Oh yeah, I can imagine THAT conversation," Saoirse said. "Excuse me Selene. I was wondering, do Exos have a period? If so, what's it like?"

That got a chuckle from Valentina. "I think you should ask her anyway, just to see what she says."

Saoirse smiled, then her face fell. "So what are we going to do about earlier?" she asked.

Valentina sighed and sat back down on the railing, letting her feet dangle over the edge. "I think we were both wrong."

"Perhaps," Saoirse agreed.

Valentina stared at her hands. "I don't really remember what happened. Everything is hazy. I do remember having very dark feelings, so I tried to express them."

"Yeah, no kidding," Saoirse said, rubbing her ears. "I think my hearing is finally coming back."

"It wasn't until after we started fighting that I realized what was going on," Valentina said. "I didn't exactly hear voices, but I had strong feelings and urges. And when you broke my speakers, that pushed me over the edge." Valentina shuddered. "I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was watching myself do these terrible things, but I couldn't stop it." She turned to Saoirse with a fearful look in her eyes. "Draining your power the way I did was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Does that make me a horrible person?"

Saoirse thought for a moment. "I dunno. Maybe?"

Valentina drew back in shock. "How can you say something like that?"

"What? You wanted an answer, so I gave you one!" Saoirse said defensively. "What do you want me to do, lie?"

"Maybe?" Valentina said uncertainly.

"And what good would that do?" Saoirse asked. "Truth is ugly and painful. Why do you think people prefer lies? Lies are easy."

Valentina folded her arms and turned her back to Saoirse. "Either way, I'm still right."

"About what?" Saoirse asked.

"Selene is the only one who doesn't treat me like a small child," Valentina said. "I don't need you or anyone else to look out for me all the time."

Saoirse was stunned. "Is that really what you think?" she asked.

"I do," Valentina replied with certainty. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but constantly hovering won't help me be a better Guardian."

Saoirse leaned over the railing and looked to the valley floor far below. "I guess you're right. Maybe it's just my natural instinct to protect and look after cute little Warlocks."

Valentina was glad Saoirse couldn't see her blush or she'd never hear the end of it. "You think I'm cute?" she asked shyly.

"Sure. Who doesn't? I'm surprised you don't get asked on dates and stuff," Saoirse said.

"Who says I don't," Valentina mumbled. She shook her head and slapped her cheeks. "It's getting late. I should go home and attempt to clean up."

Saoirse spit over the edge and watched it disappear into the distance. "Yeah. And I should go home so Musashi will stop nagging me."

Valentina jumped down and brushed herself off. "I'll see you later I guess," she said and walked off.

"Yeah. See ya," Saoirse replied and watched Valentina depart. Was it just her, or was Valentina holding herself a little taller now? Perhaps it was just her imagination. Saoirse enjoyed the evening a little longer before heading home.


	14. Session 13: Valentina

**INTERVIEWER:** What does leadership mean to you?

 **VALENTINA:** Why do you ask?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Just answer the question please.

 **VALENTINA:** Leadership, to me, is the ability to inspire trust and loyalty from those around you.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Do you feel that Selene has these qualities?

 **VALENTINA:** Why do you ask?

 **INTERVIEWER:** I'm just trying to understand how you would let someone like Selene lead you here.

 **VALENTINA:** 'Someone like Selene?' What do you mean by that? Do you have something against Selene?

 **INTERVIEWER:** We've already had this conversation with Saoirse and we wanted to get your input.

 **VALENTINA:** I don't know what you're getting at, but I don't think I like it.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Look. I'm sure Selene is an upstanding person once you get to know her, but looking back through everything we've been told, Selene is still a very mysterious figure. No one seems to know much about her.

 **VALENTINA:** Selene keeps her cards close to her chest. And you wonder how someone like that could convince me to leave the City, correct?

 **INTERVIEWER:** If you would be so inclined.

 **VALENTINA:** _(sigh)_ It wasn't easy, but then again, things rarely are with Selene. Mostly, I wanted to avoid being a hypocrite after what I had told Doctor Chudnoffsky about running from your problems. Selene spelled out very specifically what she wanted and left the choice up to Saoirse and I.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And how did she do that?

 **VALENTINA:** She appealed to my nature. _(stares forward)_ But back to the leadership thing. You strike me as someone Saoirse would call a 'Suit.'

 **INTERVIEWER:** A suit?

 **VALENTINA:** Yes. Someone who wears a suit to work and hardly, if ever, gets their hands dirty. Everything in your little world is very clean and professional. It must be stressful to keep up that appearance while working yourself to the bone with late nights and long weeks, locked in your towers of ivory, looking down on the unwashed masses.

 **INTERVIEWER:** That's hardly how it is.

 **VALENTINA:** Oh? So it's easier than that? I see. Perhaps I should become a Suit as well. Here's the thing about leadership and bonds that you Suit-types will never understand. Everything you think and everything you think you know instantly evaporates in the heat of battle. Who you can rely on and who you can trust instantly becomes clear in first exchange of gunfire. I've been there with Selene and Saoirse. The battles we've faced and the things we've done have cemented an unshakeable bond between us, a 'Band of Sisters' if you will. It's hard to explain what that's like, to love someone so implicitly, you would sacrifice everything for them. And in those situations, you learn things about each other that you would never tell anyone else.

 **INTERVIEWER:** But wasn't it you who said that a secret isn't a secret if more than one person knows about it?

 **VALENTINA:** I did. But there are other secrets that can be shared between people who care about each other.

* * *

Valentina sat in her room and stared at the wall. She had done her best to try and clean up, but fixing the hole that Saoirse made was a bit beyond her ability. She salvaged what she could from the broken speakers and was able to get a few working again, but the rest were useless. Valentina sighed. It had taken a long time and many hours of scrounging to come up with the needed parts. Oh well. She had been thinking about upgrading and now seemed as good of time as any. Valkyrie hovered over the mess, taking inventory. "I suppose I don't have to tell you how bad it is," she said.

Valentina shook her head. "No, you don't."

Valkyrie turned back to Valentina and hovered closer. "Are you still thinking about what happened?" she asked.

"Yes," Valentina nodded. "I still don't understand how it all happened. One minute I was playing the melodies in my head, and the next I was trying to kill Saoirse."

"Oh there was no trying about it. Any longer and you certainly would have killed her," Valkyrie said.

Valentina pushed her Ghost away and turned in her seat. "I don't want to hear that from you."

"Then who do you want to hear it from?" Valkyrie asked, floating back into view. "Ignoring this problem won't make it go away."

"I know that!" Valentina said sharply and gave herself a push, sending the chair around and around. "It's the stupid Void energy influencing me!"

"Maybe, but I don't think so," Valkyrie said. She was getting dizzy watching Valentina go in circles. "Please stop, you're making me queasy."

Valentina stopped the chair with her foot and stared at Valkyrie. "How does that even work? You don't have an inner ear for balance or a stomach for throwing up."

"You're right. I don't. I just wanted you to stop so you would pay attention," Valkyrie said. Valentina huffed and rolled her eyes. "Here's the thing. I could be wrong, but the Void didn't influence you to do anything you already didn't want to do," Valkyrie added.

Valentina opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. "Can you explain?" she finally asked.

Valkyrie shook her eye side to side, the Ghost equivalent of shaking your head no. "Not really," she said. "I don't know a lot about influence or coercion, but attempting to deliberately force someone's will is very hard and not likely to succeed. What I think happened was you were made aware of thoughts and feelings that were already present, and the Void just gave you a little push in that direction."

Valentina sighed and turned to face backward in the chair and put her chin on the backrest. "I think I understand what you're saying." She then crossed her arms over the back of the chair. "But who should I talk to about this?"

"Well Ikora comes to mind. You know, the Warlock Vanguard," Valkyrie heavily suggested, but Valentina shook her head. "Ikora is kinda scary. Plus, I don't like the idea of simply running to the Head Warlock with my problems. She has enough to worry about."

"But that's why she's there," Valkyrie insisted. "You're supposed to go to her with your problems. She's a mentor to young Warlocks in addition to her other duties."

"But it feels like such a trivial thing to worry about," Valentina complained.

"Okay. Fine. Be that way. At least go to her. She's a resource that's meant to be used. You'll only make this harder for yourself," Valkyrie said. Valentina leaned back and let out a long sigh while staring at the ceiling. "Okay, fine. Let's go."

Valkyrie said nothing as Valentina put her boots on and got ready to leave. As Valentina walked through the Tower, Valkyrie nestled on top of her head. The days were growing shorter as the seasons changed from Summer to Autumn. It was mid-afternoon, but felt much later. Valentina walked in silence as she tried to sort out what to say to Ikora.

Before she knew it, Valentina had wandered into the Hall of Guardians and was standing at the top of the stairs that led down to the table. "Hey there Warlock. You lost?" Cayde asked. Startled, Valentina looked up and saw the three Vanguard staring at her. "I…um…" Valentina stammered.

"Don't worry, it's okay. We don't bite," Cayde said. Valentina swallowed nervously and quickly looked between them. Her fight-or-flight response was starting to kick in.

"Cayde! You are not helping," Ikora said sternly. She turned to Valentina and her face softened. "I can see that telling you to relax is not likely to work, but take a deep breath," she said and held out her hand. Valentina closed her eyes and took a few shaky breaths and sighed. "I'm sorry. I get kinda nervous when people stare at me," she said quietly. Ikora nodded. "Would you like to go somewhere more private to talk?" she asked and Valentina nodded. Cayde turned to Zavala and whispered loudly, "I wonder what those two are going to do in private?" He did his best to waggle his eyebrows, but the gesture just came off as weird. Valentina blushed furiously and stole a glance at Ikora. Her face remained passive, but the muscles in her jaw clenched.

Zavala sighed and put his head in his hand. "Really Cayde? Is that all you think about?"

"Oh c'mon! Don't say you weren't thinking the same thing," Cayde insisted. By then they were out of earshot and didn't hear Zavala's reply. Ikora led Valentina through a door and into a small circular room. The lighting was low and cushions were arranged in a circle. Ikora lit several candles that improved the lighting somewhat and cast dancing shadows on the wall. She sat on a cushion and indicated for Valentina to do the same. "Now. What's troubling you little Warlock?" she asked.

Valentina fidgeted in her seat. What should she say? If she told the whole story, would Ikora get mad? Would she get in trouble? Would she be locked away in the prison, or cast out of the Tower? "Um…I…recently started…my Voidwalker…training," Valentina managed to say.

"And you are wondering if the Void is having a bad influence on you?" Ikora asked. Valentina quickly looked up and Ikora gave a sad smile. "How do I know? I can see it in your eyes, the questions and uncertainty. You're feeling overwhelmed and wondering what you've gotten yourself into." Valentina gave a short nod in reply.

Ikora held out her hand and formed a ball of Void energy. "I believe that Void is the most difficult of the elemental energies to master. It's not like Arc or Solar. Some would say Void is closer to Darkness than Light."

"I have heard that before," Valentina said. "Selene told me that Void shouldn't be feared, but respected."

Ikora raised an eyebrow. "Selene the Hunter?" she asked and Valentina nodded. "I have heard of her, but never had much interaction with her."

"Is that bad?" Valentina asked. Ikora shook her head. "No. What else did Selene tell you?"

Valentina thought and said, "She said that someone once said that unless you had walked in the Void, you could never understand it."

"Yes. Toland the Shattered did say that," Ikora said. "And he wasn't wrong on this point. The only way to understand something IS to experience it for yourself. Experience is the best teacher."

"But how do you prevent the Void from making you crazy?" Valentina asked.

Ikora sighed. "The Void doesn't make you crazy. You decide the level of influence it has over you."

"But how do you do that?" Valentina asked. She was nearly pleading at this point. "I don't want to go mad like Toland or Osiris. I don't want to be a burden on the Tower or the City." Tears were starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "What do I do?"

Ikora's dark eyes were full of compassion. "Dear child, the Void won't make you crazy. Toland and Osiris were indeed powerful Warlocks and a great benefit to the City. Their power didn't make them lose their way, their obsessions did. Toland with the Hive and Osiris with the Vex. Warlocks are more likely than Hunters or Titans to become enslaved by their passions because it is in our nature to seek out knowledge." Ikora leaned forward and looked deep into Valentina's eyes. "I don't want to frighten you, but the Void isn't for everyone." She held up her hand and gestured around the room. "I use this as a meditation chamber. It is a quiet place where I can go and contemplate the mysteries of the Light. It is also a refuge in a time of need."

Valentina sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like a whiny girl who can't control her power."

Ikora smiled. "This is the reason I am here child, to offer support and help those who are having trouble." She leaned back and said, "Close your eyes and center your breathing."

Valentina did so and took a deep, calming breath. "Now. Think about what the Light means to you," Ikora said. Valentina thought about pure Light energy she had seen on Io. She pictured it in her mind and it became a vertical beam of white light. "Now imagine yourself becoming one with the Light," Ikora said softly. Her voice had a silky quality that put Valentina at ease. The warmth of the room and scents she hadn't noticed before made her mediation easier. Before her, the light split into three separate beams and changed form. One became a bright star of Solar energy, one darkened and became a cloud of vapor with Arc crackling inside, and the last collapsed into a swirling vortex of purple Void. "What do you see?" Ikora asked.

"I see Solar, Arc, and Void, just like I saw on Io," Valentina whispered.

"And what do the three energies mean to you?" Ikora asked.

"Solar is a fire that burns away the Darkness and purifies all it touches," Valentina said. "Arc is a storm, unpredictable and chaotic. The storm cannot be contained, only channeled, with a Guardian acting as a conduit." She then paused.

"And the Void? What is the Void?" Ikora asked.

"The Void is the in-between, the substance that fills in the gaps between forms of matter," Valentina said. Her eyes furrowed. "It…It whispers to me. Calls out to face my innermost fears, and challenges them. It has great power, great potential, but at what cost? It whispers in my ears, wants me to give in, to pay the price to see my enemies tremble before me." Valentina opened her eyes. "I am afraid," she whispered. "I thought I could do it, but I hurt someone very close to me. I don't know if I want to take that risk."

"Everything has risk. Life itself is a risk. Such a flimsy thing, snuffed out with a puff of wind." To make her point, Ikora blew out a candle. "What matters is how much risk you are willing to accept. Like I said, Void mastery is difficult and not something everyone can do. Don't push yourself so hard. If you feel you are not ready, leave it be for now and come back to it at a later time. Knowing your limits and stretching them is a sign of growth, but knowingly breaking them and rushing headlong is foolhardy and dangerous."

Valentina nodded and thought about everything Ikora had said. "Thank you. I am grateful for your words and guidance. I apologize for interrupting you," she said.

"It really is no trouble. I am a resource for you to use for a reason," Ikora said. "It is in my best interest to help you succeed and become a great Warlock." Ikora blew out the candles and they exited the room. Valentina offered a thankful bow to Ikora and wandered back through the Tower.

"See? That wasn't so bad," Valkyrie said as she appeared over Valentina's shoulder.

"I suppose not," Valentina replied and was quite surprised to see the sun had set long ago and nighttime had fallen. "How long were we in there?"

"I don't know. I while if I had to guess," Valkyrie said.

"That doesn't help me you pest," Valentina hissed and waved at Valkyrie.

"Don't worry about how long it took. Be thankful it took as long as you needed," Valkyrie said while avoiding Valentina's grasp.

"Well lookee here!" Saoirse called out. Valentina turned around and saw Steve and Saoirse walking arm in arm and stumbling a bit. Saoirse was smiling broadly and Steve had a slight grin on his face. Valentina frowned. "Are you drunk?"

"Nah, just feelin' good," Saoirse replied and gave Steve a sultry look. "Feelin' REAL good if you know what I mean,"

"Oh I know what you mean. I just don't think you can handle it," Steve replied

Saoirse raised an eyebrow. "Care to find out?"

"You have no idea what you're in for," Steve warned.

Saoirse's smile turned evil. "Right back at cha' cowboy."

"Oh it's on now," Steve said with a chuckle.

Valentina warily watched the exchange. "Should I be worried?" she asked cautiously.

"Only if you wanna watch," Saoirse replied.

"Watch what?" Valentina asked and as soon as the words left her mouth, realization hit her and she started to blush.

"Aww, look at you," Saoirse cooed. She untangled from Steve and squeezed Valentina. "I love you, you know that? Never become old and jaded like me," she said. Valentina winced from being crushed and the smell of alcohol on Saoirse's breath rankled her nose.

"Fear not young maiden! For I have come to free you from the clutches of this vile beast!" Steve proclaimed and pulled Saoirse off Valentina.

"The knight in shining armor! Have you come to slay me?" Saoirse asked with as much flair as she could muster.

"It will be no easy task, but I shall be victorious!" Steve said and struck a pose.

"Then lead on, good knight! To my cave where we shall do battle!" Saoirse said and they walked off, laughing together.

"Um, what just happened?" Valkyrie asked.

Valentina watched them go. "I'll explain it when you're older," she said.

"Coming from you? That'll be the day," Valkyrie retorted.

Valentina spent the next few days cleaning her apartment and meditating on Ikora's words. A little meditation chamber like Ikora's wouldn't work for Valentina, so she rearranged her makeshift recording studio. She put on her headphones, plugged in her guitar, started recording and closed her eyes. All distractions faded away as Valentina opened herself to the Light and became a conduit for its energy. The melodies flowed from her mind and her fingers danced across the settings and began plucking the strings, trying to find the right sounds. Valentina didn't really hear it, she was lost in the process of creation. When the inspiration had run its course, Valentina stopped recording and played it back.

"Ugh. It doesn't sound very good," Valkyrie winced. "Is something broken? It sounds like nothing but static and feedback."

"Hush," Valentina said, and pressed the headphones closer to her ears. Slowly, she began to realize what she was listening to. "At first glance it sounds random, but the more you pay attention, you can hear the patterns," she said, and began to conduct in time with the rhythm. "Out of chaos, order."

"I don't get it," Valkyrie replied.

"You don't have too," Valentina said. "Everyone who hears it will experience something different. You only hear noise, while I hear the intricate layers and patterns of the music." She turned to Valkyrie. "Out of Chaos, Order. That's what the Void is."

Valkyrie narrowed her eye and stared at Valentina like she didn't get it. "If you insist."

Valentina turned back to her equipment and started making adjustments. "I have a new idea for an album," she said.

"Oh yeah? What is it this time?" Valkyrie asked.

"I'll call it 'Song of the Soul.' I will make a series of songs that will invoke feelings of what the Light is. Like this one here," Valentina said and played back the recording. "This makes me think of the Void."

"But not everyone will get that," Valkyrie said.

"I know, and that's the point," Valentina said. "Someone else will hear this and think of Arc or Solar."

"Or noise, which it is," Valkyrie stated flatly. Valentina made a face and waved Valkyrie off. "You're no fun," she poo-pooed. Valentina spent the next few days holed up in her apartment, working on her album. She lost herself in the process of creation and forgot about everything else. Valentina entered a dream-like state and let the Light flow through her and influence her actions.

Valkyrie started to worry about Valentina's well-being. She didn't sleep and forgot to eat. Her eyes had a glazed over, half-dead look to them. Valkyrie tried to reason with Valentina, but to no avail. Valkyrie eventually decided to simply keep watch over her Guardian and protect her when she eventually collapsed.

Valentina finally came out of her daze and slept for an entire day. When she woke up, she didn't feel very good. "Good. You're not dead," Valkyrie said.

"I certainly feel like it," Valentina groaned. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Did anything happen?"

"Yeah. You nearly killed yourself working on your little project," Valkyrie said. Valentina sighed and rubbed her neck. She felt sore all over and her stomach rumbled in protest. "I suppose I got carried away."

"That's putting it lightly," Valkyrie snorted. "I went out and traded for more ration packs, so that should tide you over until you get some real food."

"Thank you," Valentina replied and got up. She slowly walked to the kitchen and opened a ration pack, which consisted of a tasteless gel that consisted of proteins and other nutrients that could take the place of a normal meal. Valentina made a face and ate three more while chasing it with water. "I really don't like those things," she said.

"Well you should have thought of that before you spaced out," Valkyrie scolded. Valentina went into the bathroom to clean up. After changing into clean clothes, she felt much better. "Did anything important happen?" she asked.

"Well I did receive a message from Ikora," Valkyrie said and Valentina blanched. "What did she say?" she asked hesitantly.

"Here. I'll just play it back for you," Valkyrie said. There was a short burst of static and Ikora's voice was heard. "Warlock Valentina. Our conversation the other day got me thinking and I believe it would be in your best interest if you had Warlock to mentor you. This is not meant to be a punitive measure, rather another tool at your disposure. Go to the Library and speak with Shiera. I will inform her you will be coming. I look forward to your progress in becoming the best Warlock you can be."

Valentina sat down to process what she had heard. "I suppose that would make sense. I'm glad that Saoirse and Selene are there to help, but there are certain things only a Warlock would understand."

"Yeah, like your overwhelming desire to lose yourself completely in your work," Valkyrie said. Valentina wanted to say something, but realized her Ghost was right. It would be so easy to seclude herself and do nothing but work on her projects, but everything would suffer as a result. "I suppose we should go to the Library then," Valentina said.

On her way to the Library, Valentina stopped at a vendor stall and grabbed some real food. The meat was seasoned perfectly and the cool dressing and vegetables added a nice flavor. Everything was wrapped in a grilled flatbread that only added to the experience. "This gyro is quite tasty," she said, licking her fingers. When she was finished, Valentina continued on her way.

Valentina walked in and found the Library to be moderately busy. A Ghost was working behind the main counter, sorting books and other documents. "Excuse me," Valentina said gently.

"Wah!" The Ghost startled and spun about in the air.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you," Valentina soothed.

"N-no worries," the Ghost replied, calming itself down. "What can I do for you Warlock?"

"I am looking for Shiera. Is she in today?" Valentina asked.

The Ghost bobbed up and down. "She is in the back cataloging new submissions. Should I take you there?"

"No need. I can find it, and I wouldn't want to interrupt your work," Valentina said.

"Oh. Yes. Well thank you," the ghost replied and went back to work. Valentina wandered her way through the Library and arrived at her destination. The door was open and Valentina peeked inside the small office. Shiera was sitting at the desk, hunched over a stack of papers. Off to the side was a piece of paper with notes. Every few seconds, Shiera would stop, take a few notes, and go back to reading. Valentina knocked quietly on the doorjamb. Shiera looked up and smiled. "Oh. It's you. Ikora said you would be stopping by." Valentina noticed that physically, Shiera looked to be a few years older, but that didn't really mean anything since Guardians didn't age.

"Yes. I've been busy lately and just now received her message," Valentina said. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Oh not at all," Shiera said and pointed to a chair. "I was about to take a break anyway. Have a seat and we can talk."

Valentina sat in the offered seat and began nervously playing with her hands. "Did Ikora tell you anything?"

"Only that you might be in need of some guidance," Shiera replied. "Would you like to tell me about it?" Valentina proceeded to tell Shiera what happened between her and Ikora. "I see," Shiera said. "And you are worried that exposure to the Void will change you in unrecognizable ways?" Valentina gave a short nod.

Shiera sighed and looked around the room. "I'm a Stormcaller now, but I started out as a Voidwalker," she said.

"Why did you switch?" Valentina asked.

"I suppose I needed a change of pace, something different for a while," Shiera said. "As far as your other question, the easy answer is the Void WILL change you. The long answer is a bit complicated."

"How so?" Valentina asked.

"Void is from the Light, and the Light has already changed you since you're a Guardian," Shiera said. "Void tends to get a bad rap, but it is no different than Solar or Arc."

"I feel like everyone is telling me the same thing, just in different ways," Valentina said. "I guess it's unavoidable."

"Yes, but change isn't a bad thing. It can certainly lead to bad things, but only if you let it," Shiera said. "Do you have a hobby, or something you are passionate about?" She then shook her head and smiled. "Silly me. I already know music is your thing."

"Yes," Valentina replied.

"Tell me that process," Shiera said.

"Well, this is going to sound weird, but I don't hear voices in my head. I hear melodies and songs," Valentina said. "It could be that it's because I was reborn as a Sunsinger."

"Perhaps," Shiera said. "And then what happens?"

"Well, sometimes I get a thought or a feeling," Valentina said. "It's kinda hard to explain, but the concept forms in my head and I try to express that the best I can through music. I believe that music is the universal emotion because it has the ability to invoke feelings in people."

"I see," Shiera replied, leaning back in her chair. "Do Solar, Arc and Void have different themes?"

"Yes," Valentina said. "I have recordings if you would like to hear them,"

"Please. I would be honored," Shiera said. "Music is your passion, but Art is mine." She stood and walked to a filing cabinet. Shiera opened the drawer, rummaged about, and pulled out an old sketchbook. "These are some of my earliest works," she said and handed the book to Valentina, who opened to the first page. "This is amazing," she gasped. She quickly flipped through the pages, taking note of each drawing. "I feel like if my music had a physical form that could be viewed, this is what it would be."

"Thank you," Shiera said. "That really means a lot to me." She sat back down and looked at Valentina. "Tell me, is there anyone you associate with? People you consider friends, or anything of that nature?"

"There's a Titan and a Hunter I sometimes form a fireteam with," Valentina said.

"No Warlocks?" Shiera asked.

"Not really," Valentina replied.

"I see. While it is good to have diversity in your friendships, it helps to have one or two people who are the same as you," Shiera said.

"That's what Ikora said," Valentina mumbled. "I do get what she's saying. There are certain things only a Warlock will understand." Shiera nodded. Valentina looked up shyly. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Age wise or how long have I been a Guardian?" Shiera asked.

"How long you've been a Guardian," Valentina asked. Shiera stroked her chin and thought. "Let's see. I was resurrected sometime after the Great Disaster. What about you?" Valentina shrugged. "Sometime in the last twenty years or so?"

Shiera smiled. "You're little more than a baby aren't you?"

Valentina frowned. "I get enough of that already."

"Relax. I'm only teasing," Shiera chuckled.

Valentina sighed. "It seems like everyone I know has been a Guardian much longer than me. I feel like there's no one my age that I can relate to."

"I understand your concerns," Shiera said. "It is true that there aren't many Guardians being reborn. There are those that think that new Guardians should be chosen from the living who possess exceptional Light."

Valentina frowned. "Is that even possible?"

Shiera nodded. "It is rare, but it does happen." Valentina looked down in her hands. "It feels strange. I know that there are those who care about me and would do anything to help me, so why do I feel so alone sometimes? Like there's no one who really understands me or what I'm going through."

Shiera shrugged. "Long ago, they would call that teenage angst. The feeling of utter hopelessness and the whole 'Woe is me, no one understands' bit. I'm not downplaying what you are feeling or going through, but realize that others have experienced the same thing."

"I suppose," Valentina replied. "I'm not trying to sound like an ungrateful child, but I can't help what I'm feeling."

Shiera placed a reassuring hand on Valentina's shoulder. "You don't have to go through this alone. You have others who support and care for you. And I'm here if you just want to talk, Warlock to Warlock."

Valentina rose to her feet. "Thank you. I'm sorry for taking up so much your time. I feel like I was just ranting with no purpose."

"Sometimes that's all you need," Shiera said. "One last thing before you go. It's good to be passionate about things, but don't allow that passion to turn into obsession. That will lead you down a dark path and I think you know what the consequences could be."

Valentina nodded and walked out, departing the Library. Once again, the sky was dark and the Sun had set while Valentina was inside. "I seem to have an unnatural ability to lose track of time," she commented.

"Stay away from the Vex then, or we'd never escape," Valkyrie said. Before Valentina could continue, Valkyrie started buzzing. "Hold on, I'm receiving a message. From Musashi?"

"What is it?" Valentina asked.

"He's asking for help. It seems Saoirse is in the Hangar lounge drinking," Valkyrie said.

"What else is new?" Valentina asked.

"She's been at it for almost two days," Valkyrie replied.

"Oh. That could be bad," Valentina said. "I don't know what help I'll be, but it wouldn't hurt to go and help."

When Valentina found Saoirse, she was surprisingly quiet and sitting in the far corner. The low table was littered with bottles and empty glasses. Saoirse was wearing the black under layer of her armor, boots and a light jacket. She stared into the bottom of her current glass and would take a sip every now and then. A faint smile appeared on her face when she saw Valentina. "Come to take me away have you?"

"Only if you want me to," Valentina replied. Saoirse tilted her head back and swallowed the rest of her drink in one gulp. She sighed heavily and poured herself another drink. "Come, sit, drink with me. That way I don't feel like an alcoholic."

"How drunk are you right now?" Valentina asked. Saoirse looked around at the empty bottles. "Drunk enough to know I should stop, but I don't want to," she replied, only slightly slurring her words.

Valentina sat in the seat next to Saoirse. Saoirse found a mostly clean glass, poured some liquor and placed the glass in front of Valentina. "I don't really drink," Valentina said softly.

"I know. The illusion makes me feel better," Saoirse said and sipped her drink. Valentina slowly reached for the glass and brought it to her lips. The drink smelled like antiseptic and cleared her sinuses. Valentina tipped the glass up and a small amount of the amber liquid entered her mouth. Her head was filled with a sharp alcohol and smoky wood flavor. Valentina made a face and started coughing as the liquid burned all the way down her throat and into her belly. Saoirse snorted and nearly choked on her own drink. "That's not very nice," Valentina rasped.

"I can't help it!" Saoirse laughed. "That was the best thing I've seen all week!" Valentina frowned and put her glass down. "Aw c'mon, don't pout. I'm just teasing you a bit," Saoirse said.

"I don't appreciate being made fun of," Valentina said softly.

Saoirse sighed. "I know." She added a few ice cubes to her glass and placed it against her forehead. "You know, after our fight the other day, I did some thinking."

"Uh oh," Valentina said.

"Shut up. I'm being serious," Saoirse replied and gave Valentina a swat. "I realized that I probably haven't been very fair to you."

"Why do you say that?" Valentina asked.

"You know, treatin' you like a little kid. Clearly, you are not. You are a Warlock, mighty and powerful in the ways of the Light. But you're still young, y'know?" Saoirse started to sway a little and turned to Valentina. "Youth isn't a curse, but it's not a gift either. It just means people will want to look out for you or take advantage of you. Good luck figuring out which is which."

"So which one are you?" Valentina asked. Saoirse blinked slowly and sighed. "Dunno yet. Haven't figured it out."

Valentina stared at her drink, but didn't touch it. "So the other day, you and Steve?" she started.

Saoirse huffed and took a gulp of her drink. "What can I say? I'm a woman. I have needs."

"I never said you didn't," Valentina said.

"Apparently, super soldiers from another dimension also need to get loose once and a while," Saoirse said with a grin. "I tell you what, I haven't seen anything that crazy in a long time."

Completely unbidden, thoughts of broken beds, smashed walls and utter destruction raced through Valentina's head and she blushed. "Ha! Now yer thinkin' about it, aren't cha?" Saoirse laughed.

"What you do in private is no business of mine," Valentina replied, clearing her throat. Saoirse drained her glass and poured another. "One thing you'll learn as you get older is this job really wears on you, physically and emotionally. It's a wonder we're all not a bunch of nut jobs."

Valentina sat quietly and listened. She got the feeling that Saoirse had something she wanted to get off her chest.

"I'm not saying I don't like being a Guardian, cuz I do, but it's hard trying to reconcile this life with the other stuff that comes with being a woman. Especially a Titan. We're all taught to be big, strong, Defenders of Humanity, heroes to the masses! And that implies being tough and manly. Hormones and lady problems? Ain't nobody got time for that! Get out there! Shoot that thing, punch that thing in the face! Go, go, go!" Saoirse was starting to get animated and spilled a little of her drink.

Valentina had never seen this side of Saoirse before, so open and vulnerable. And some of what Saoirse was saying did make sense.

Saoirse continued. "So yeah. Like I was saying. I'm a living person who happens to be a woman. I have urges and a drive just like the men do. I'm not saying it happens all the time, but I'll admit I've had a roll or two in the hay. I mean, that's natural right? People are gonna be people, no matter what the circumstances."

"I'm not judging you," Valentina replied.

Saoirse turned to Valentina. The fog of alcohol didn't lessen the clarity in her eyes. "But with you, it's different." She took a drink and stared into the bottom of her glass. "I knew this Warlock a long time ago, went by the name Valkyrie. For all I know she might actually been one. She was a Sunsinger, and she was super intense and had a raging fire inside of her. She was bold, borderline reckless. And when we got into a fight?" Saoirse shook her head at the memory. "She would blaze across the battlefield, like a bright and shining star, burning away all who stood before her. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

"Were you close?" Valentina asked softly.

"You could say that," Saoirse offered. "If things had been different, who knows? But the job always comes first. And in this line of work, you never know what will happen." Saoirse raised the glass to her lips, thought better of it and put her glass down. She leaned forward and stared at the ground. "I always told myself to not get too attached to people. Yes, we're Guardians and sort of invincible, but Death is still a thing. You never know when the Reaper will come knocking. But even knowing that, relationships still happen and when you fly too close to the sun, or chase after shooting stars, eventually you crash and burn."

They sat in silence for a while. Valentina wasn't quite sure what to say as she digested what Saoirse had said. Opening yourself so honestly to another was very difficult and took an incredible amount of trust. This made Valentina feel a little fuzzy inside. "What happened to her?" she finally asked.

Saoirse shrugged. "Not sure. I know she survived The Great Disaster and we both participated in the Ahamkara Hunt. The only thing I figure is Dredgen Yor killed her." She took a large gulp of her drink and sighed. "Losing someone close to you like that is soul crushing. So I did what any other Titan would do. Pushed the pain away best I could, strapped up, and started killing things." Saoirse lazily turned in Valentina's direction. "And then you came along and all I could think about was her."

Valentina's stomach did flip-flops. "I'm not her," she stammered.

"I know. And it isn't fair of me to project that onto you," Saoirse said. "But I still find myself being overprotective of you, and I hate myself for it. Maybe in my own, twisted way, I'm trying to make up for not being there when she needed me."

"But you have no way of knowing if that's true or not," Valentina said. "It's normal to feel guilty for a loss like that, but you can't let that stop you from moving forward and living your life."

"Hmph. When did you become so poetic?" Saoirse huffed. She drained the last of her drink and lay back, resting hear head on the back of the couch. "So long story short, this is all your fault."

"What is?" Valentina asked. Saoirse glanced at her and waved her arm, indicating the mess. "Congratulations. You made me realize what a basket case I've become."

Valentina stared down at her hands. Could this really be her fault? She decided she could be a tiny bit to blame, but this was mostly on Saoirse. After hearing her story, Valentina was curious. Who was this Valkyrie person? What was she like? She must have been very important to have such an impact on Saoirse. Saoirse the Titan: loud, strong-willed, crass, and fiery temper. Valentina liked her instantly, from the first time they met. Saoirse had always been eager to help, now how could Valentia return the favor? "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

Saoirse sighed. "Help me get home for starters," she said. Valentina rolled her eyes. Figures. "And learn from me and Selene," Saoirse added. "Being a Guardian is a hard life. Find meaning in something, and don't let this crush you into the ground."

"I'll try," Valentina promised.

Saoirse raised her arm and Valentina pulled her to her feet. The large Titan draped all over the smaller Warlock and Valentina struggled with the weight. "You could make this a little easier you know," she muttered.

"But what's the fun in that?" Saoirse asked. Nevertheless, she stood up a little bit and took some of the weight off Valentina.

Valentina became acutely aware how close Saoirse' body was pressed against her own. A tingling sensation went down her spine and heat started to cover her cheeks. If Saoirse noticed her discomfort, she didn't say anything.

"And one more thing," Saoirse added.

"What's that?" Valentina asked.

"Don't tell Selene how drunk I got," Saoirse said. Her face displayed as much seriousness as she could muster.

Valentina let out a little chuckle. "Whatever you say." Together, the Titan and Warlock stumbled across the Tower to Saoirse's apartment.


	15. Session 14: Selene

**INTERVIEWER:** From everything you've told us so far, I assume we are coming to the end of your story?

 **SELENE:** Only as far as getting your guys back here. I could wax philosophical and talk about how this little adventure is but one chapter in my grand Book of Life that is still ongoing. But yes, the end is near. And then maybe you'll let me out of this little box.

 **ITNERVIEWER:** All in due time. What happened after you activated the portal?

 **SELENE:** Like I said, the portal activated, a bunch of Hive showed up, I killed an Ogre, and by the time that was all done, the portal closed and we were back to square one. Well not exactly. We proved we could activate a portal. Now we had to see what was on the other side.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What did you do?

 **SELENE:** Well Doc and I went back to the tower. I "borrowed" a frame from Amanda Holliday.

 **INTERVIEWER:** A frame?

 **SELENE:** Yes. A frame. Frames are these robots that help do manual labor and menial tasks around the Tower. Lord Shaxx has an army of frames he calls Redjacks that help him oversee the Crucible. And Redjacks have combat programing, so there's that.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So you stole-

 **SELENE:** Borrowed.

 **INTERVIEWER:** "Borrowed" a frame from the Tower. To use as a remote to go through the portal?

 **SELENE:** Yep. I also ran into the white one, Aurora? That's her name right? Anyway, I found her and enlisted her help. You know, more guns in the fight if we got ambushed again. So now it was me, the Doc, and Aurora and we headed back to the Dreadnaught. Doc and my Ghost wired up the frame to video and audio data back to the Doc's computer thingy.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Were you successful?

 **SELENE:** To a degree. We were able to reactivate the portal and fortunately, no Hive were waiting to kill us. We sent the frame through the portal, but the images that came back were distorted and full of static. Probably due to some kind of transdimensional interference. We sent it out to get as much data as possible, but then the portal started fluctuate and suddenly closed.

 **INTERVIEWER:** What happened?

 **SELENE:** As it turns out, crashing a giant Cabal carrier ship into the Dreadnaught is not conducive to the continued existence of fragile Hive artifacts. The statues that control the portal had been previously damaged and I guess repeated use finally put an end to them.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Obviously, there was an alternate solution.

 **SELENE:** Obviously.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Care to elaborate?

 **SELENE:** Well first we went back to the Tower to update the Vanguard. And since it looked like this portal thing was actually going to work, there were preparations that needed to be made.

 **INTERVIEWER:** Is that when you decided to come here with the Spartans?

 **SELENE:** Nope. I'd made my mind up about that a LONG time ago.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And the others?

 **SELENE:** You'd have to ask them.

 **INTERVIEWER:** We did.

 **SELENE:** And?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Quite honestly, I still don't see how you were able to convince them of this scheme of yours.

 **SELENE:** _(shrugs)_ Well that's not my problem. Sometimes people don't need a reason to do the things they do other than they simply want to. I wanted to come here and explore your universe and see new things. But we're getting off topic. You want to know how this ends, right?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Of course. That's the whole reason for this anyway.

 **SELENE:** Like I said, preparations needed to be made.

* * *

Selene hated the Tower. Perhaps hate is too strong of a word. A serious dislike then. Selene seriously disliked the Tower. There weren't that many Guardians to begin with, but the Tower always seemed crowded and claustrophobic to her. If it weren't for the fact the majority of her weapons, armor, knick-knacks and doo-dads were locked securely in her Vault, she would have no reason to visit the tower. Oh, there were other reasons Selene seriously disliked the Tower, but they seemed to come across as petty and nitpicky when she voiced them.

Regardless of her feelings, Selene piloted her ship into the Hangar and put down. Once the ramp was lowered, Selene, Aurora and Doctor Chudnoffsky disembarked.

"I should head back and try to make sense of the data we recovered," Chudnoffsky said.

"Sounds good Doc. I have to give an update to the Vanguard and I'll be along in a bit," Selene said. Chudnoffsky gave a short nod and left.

Aurora looked around. "Well I guess I'll be going then," she said.

"Hold up a sec," Selene said and Aurora stopped. "There's something I want you and your A.I. friend to help me with."

"Oh? What would that be?" Isis asked.

Selene motioned for Aurora to follow and headed back up the ramp. After about an hour, Aurora departed the ship. Selene followed shortly after and stopped to look up at her ship. Amanda had finally completed her repairs and gave it back to Selene. She walked to the edge of the Hangar and looked up at the Traveler. "Looks like this might actually be happening," she said softly.

Ghost appeared and buzzed around Selene's head. "You Hunters are real pain sometimes."

"So are you just going to abandon me to my fate?" Selene asked.

"Of course not," Ghost scoffed. It floated around until it was eye level Selene. "You're my Guardian, for better or worse."

Selene squinted at Ghost. "So we're married now? We certainly know who wears the pants in this relationship."

"And it isn't you," Ghost shot back. "Without me, who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into?"

"Oh. So you're like my conscience, is that it?" Selene asked. "Well I've never needed one of those before."

Ghost sighed and Selene chuckled. "But you're right. This will probably be the stupidest thing I've ever done."

After several moments, Ghost said softly, "You know, the Traveler probably only exists in this universe."

"I know," Selene replied.

"Which means there isn't a Traveler where those Spartans come from," Ghost said.

"I know," Selene repeated.

"No Traveler means no Light," Ghost continued. "Meaning if something happens, you won't have your abilities and I can't resurrect you."

"I know," Selene said with a sigh. "Things aren't meant to live forever, as much as we might want them to."

"I can't even predict what will happen to me," Ghost said. "At best, I will continue to function, but in a reduced capacity. And at worst? Well. It's like you said."

Selene cupped Ghost gently in her hands. Ghost closed his eye and vibrated softly, almost like purring.

"Now for the tricky part," Selene said and went to see the Vanguard. Needless to say, they weren't quite happy to hear what happened to the portal. "Are you sure the portal is inoperative?" Zavala asked. Selene rolled her eyes. "I had Ghost scan the statues and checked them myself. No Bueno."

"I see," Ikora said and put her hand to her chin in thought. "That does complicate things."

"What about that other portal?" Cayde asked. "You know, the one the fireteam used to kill Oryx? Better yet, just pop one of those Hive rune things."

"The Hive runes only provide access to the throne of Oryx and his Court," Eris Morn said.

"Gah!" Cayde jumped. "When did you get here?"

"I have been here the whole time you fool," Eris replied acidly.

Cayde gathered himself together. "Well stop sneakin' around like that. It's creepy. And you'll scare people. Stop it." He glared and pointed his finger at Eris.

"That portal still has statues that control the destination. We'll just do like we did with the other portal," Selene offered.

"But what about activating the statues? You know, with the green balls?" Cayde said.

"We have the notes from the Kingslayer fire team right? C'mon people, this isn't that hard to figure out," Selene said.

"That may be so, but we still can't guarantee the safety of you, your team or the Spartans," Ikora said.

"I think we all know what we're getting into," Selene said. "Saoirse, Valentina and me will activate the statues and the portal and give the Spartans whatever assistance they need to get through."

The Vanguard continued to argue amongst themselves, but Selene tuned it out. She had her own thoughts and plans to worry about. She walked a short distance away, out of earshot from the Vanguard. "Get a hold of Saoirse and Valentina and tell them to meet at Saoirse's apartment," she said to Ghost.

"Why there?" Ghost asked.

"Because I don't have a place anymore and Saoirse lives far enough away where we won't be bothered," Selene said. Ghost's eye flashed and its points extended and spun around. "Done. It turns out they are both in the Tower."

"Good," Selene replied. Half an hour later, they were gathered around the table in Saoirse's apartment where Selene told them her plan. "I'm not forcing you to do anything here," she said. "We've been through a lot together and I just wanted to give you the courtesy of knowing."

Saoirse leaned back and crossed her arms. "So that's it then? You're just going to abandon us for a bunch of hussies from another universe?"

"No, but you're free to think that if you want," Selene said.

Valentina's eyes narrowed. "Despite everything you've done for the Tower, the City and Humanity as a whole, you're going to throw that all away?"

Selene shrugged. "In the grand scheme of things, exactly what have I done that the City couldn't have survived without me? There are plenty of Guardians who have done bigger and better things than me. We're all just tiny cogs in the machine that attempts to keep Humanity from extinction."

"That may be so, but everyone has a role to play," Valentina said. "And you're being selfish if you think otherwise."

"I don't care what you think. You're big girls who can make your own decisions and don't need me to hold your hand through anything. You're more than capable of getting by without me," Selene said.

"That may be true, but where would you be without us?" Saoirse countered.

"Certainly not here trying to explain myself to a bunch of knuckleheads," Selene said.

"True. You'd be off exploring some ancient ruins on some forgotten world that hasn't been seen since the Collapse," Saoirse said. "And without backup, I might add."

"That is also probably true," Selene admitted after some thought.

"Face it. You need us and we're stuck with you," Saoirse said with a grin. "With everything that's happened, it would be a shame to break up the band now."

"I don't think we've ever been a band," Selene said. "At least not in the way people normally think of fireteams."

"So what? Who cares what they think?" Saoirse asked. They both turned to Valentina, who visibly shrank under their gaze. "I do think what I said is true," she stammered. "But this would make me a hypocrite after what I said to Doctor Chudnoffsky."

"You could say that we would be running from the problems here, but I see it as searching for a solution," Selene said. "I know we've talked about this before, but if the people from the other universe would be willing to help us, here, that would certainly go a long way."

"But what if they don't?" Valentina asked.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Selene said.

Saoirse clapped her hands and rose to her feet. "Well I guess that's all settled then. Now we just need to figure out how to make this all work out so we don't end up dead."

"Nothing is settled," Valentina argued. She sighed and stared at her hands in her lap. "I'm not just going to follow you out of blind loyalty."

"I would never expect you to," Selene said.

"I can't deny that you've helped make me into the person I am now," Valentina said. "So how do I balance the conflict between repaying you for everything you've done for me and my responsibility as a Warlock to the Tower and City? What should I do?"

Selene put her hand on Valentina's shoulder. "Listen to me Val. Neither of these choices are wrong. If you are that worried about it, perhaps you should stay. And it's not like we're leaving right now. It will take a day or two to get everything ready. Take some time and think about it." After a moment of hesitation, Valentina nodded in agreement.

Selene gave Valentina a pat on the shoulder and moved to the door. "I have some errands to run. I'll be in contact."

"Sure. Let us know if anything comes up," Saoirse said and Selene left. When she was outside, Selene called out, "Ghost, tell Cayde I need to meet with him."

Later that evening, Selene leaned against the railing along the Traveler's Walk and stared off into the distance. Outside the walls, the Last City was surrounded by high mountains and dense forests. The sun had recently set and the stars were starting to appear from behind the clouds. Being this high in the mountains meant the temperature stayed moderately cool, and if Selene were able, she imagined she could see her breath.

"You know, we really should stop meeting like this," Cayde-6 said. "People might get the wrong idea."

Selene turned to see the Hunter Vanguard approach. Cayde propped himself up along the railing next to Selene and said, "So. What's this about then? Of all the Hunters, I see you the least. For a while there, I was starting to think the reason you never stopped by is because you hated me or something."

"Yes, Cayde. You are the sole reason I never come to the Tower," Selene deadpanned. To his credit, Cayde looked shocked and placed his hands over his heart. "Selene! Your words, they wound me so!" he cried.

Selene rolled her eyes. "Not everything has to be about you," she said. Cayde stood up straight and his eyes stared into her own. "Really. What's so important we couldn't meet down in the Vanguard Hall? Where I'm supposed to be. Right now. In fact, if I listen hard enough, I can hear Zavala calling." Cayde put his hand up to his ear and leaned out, doing his best Zavala impression. "Cayde! Where are you? Come back! We need you! We can't survive without you! Ikora is going mad and Eris is crying over your disappearance!"

"I think you overestimate your importance," Selene said.

"And you underestimate your own," Cayde shot back. He sighed. "Look, for real though, I need to get back." He started to leave.

"I want to leave," Selene called after him. Cayde stopped and turned to look back at her. "So? You leave the Tower all the time." Selene shook her head. "I mean, I want to leave with them," she clarified.

Cayde squinted at her in confusion, then is eyes grew wide as he realized what she meant. "Oh. That might be bad. Zavala won't like that," he said.

"I don't work for Zavala, I work for you," Selene said.

"So what then, you're telling me this because you want my blessing?" Cayde asked. Selene shrugged. "I don't care if you don't want me to go. I thought I'd give you the courtesy of telling you my intentions."

"Well. That kinda puts me under a barrel doesn't it?" Cayde said. He rubbed his head and sighed. "I can't say I like the idea. Our enemies are growing more numerous and every Guardian's contribution helps, no matter how small it seems." He held his hands out in a helpless gesture. "You're not the only Guardian to become disillusioned with the war we're fighting." His eyes narrowed and his voice took on an edge. "How do you think I feel? I've been doing this a long time. I remember the Collapse. I was _there_. I _saw_ what it did to me, to others. You think I don't know what futility feels like? I've lost countless friends to this war, each one harder than the last." He pulled out his hand cannon, Ace of Spades and pointed at his own head. "Do you know how many times I've thought of ending it all? How many times I DID try to end it all?" Selene said nothing. "That's just our nature as near-immortal beings, to get up and keep fighting over and over, until your Light is exhausted and your next death will be your last." Cayde's shoulders slumped and he holstered his gun. "I get why you feel the way you do. This job turns into a grind and you wonder if it will ever end." He gave Selene a flick on the forehead. "Your problem is you try to see too much of the big picture. When you look at it that way, of course it's easy to feel overwhelmed. We're Hunters. Leave all that big brain power stuff to the Warlocks. That's what they get paid for."

"We don't get paid," Selene said flatly.

"Of course you don't. That's not the point," Cayde said. "You just need to take it one mission at a time, one day at a time. Set small goals, like kill a couple dozen Fallen Captains today, or hunt down a brood of Hive Wizards tomorrow, or locate some other big baddie. Easy stuff."

Selene looked away, and thought about how to convey her thoughts. Val always told her to work on her communication skills. "I think, the real reason I want to go with them is because I want to see what it is like," she said finally.

"What their world is like?" Cayde asked. Selene gave a short nod. "From what it sounds like, where they come from is a lot like our Golden Age. Humanity at its finest, reaching for the stars, making progress in science and learning, expanding the horizon of what is possible."

"Sounds like you're romanticizing a bit," Cayde said. "I can see where you're coming from, but it sounds like they have problems of their own. The grass isn't always greener on the other side."

"Perhaps," Selene said, "But they have colonized worlds outside their home Solar System. What are those worlds like? What kinds of people are there? Are their aliens friendly?" She shrugged. "I just want to see it, explore it. Feel what it's like to visit places I've never been."

"There are plenty of places here you've never been," Cayde pointed out. "The only reason you haven't been to say, the moons of Jupiter? That's way outside our perimeter. Too dangerous."

They stood and watched the wilderness for a while. "It's not that I don't have a problem with you leaving," Cayde finally said. "It's the fact the other two will want to go with you that I have a problem with."

Selene nodded in agreement. "It wouldn't matter if I told them no or snuck away. They'd end up with me regardless."

"You know, that's saying something when a Titan and a Warlock, especially those two, would be willing to follow you anywhere," Cayde said. "From what I hear from Ikora, Valentina really looks up to you."

"They're both idiots you know," Selene pointed out.

"Yep, and the biggest idiot of all is leading them," Cayde said with a smile. Selene rolled her eyes. "There's something else. And you aren't going to like it."

"Oh? What could that be?" Cayde asked.

"I know there aren't that many Guardians, but there is one who could take my place," Selene said.

Cayde's eyes grew hard and he stood up suddenly. "No. Out of the question."

"But hear me out-" Selene started, but Cayde put his hand up and cut her off. "I don't care if it's the best idea since sliced bread and video on demand, no. No. Never. Going. To. Happen."

"How long has it been?" Selene argued.

"It's not a matter of how long," Cayde shot back, "It's the fact she's still alive!"

"It's not like you can just kill her. She is still a Guardian," Selene said.

"Not helping," Cayde replied, pointing his finger in her face. "There is a reason we locked her in a hole and threw away the hole. She's dangerous and a nut job to boot. Heck, all of Future War Cult is a bunch of crazies."

Selene said nothing. "Cayde. She can help. She knows things."

"Of course she knows things!" Cayde exasperated. "She went into that stupid fortune telling machine the FWC is so secretive about and came out babbling nonsense how 'None of this is real,' and 'Were all just puppets, controlled by extradimensional beings for their own amusement,' or 'This is a game and our plot sucks,' and my favorite, 'The cake is a lie.' What does that even mean?" Selene said nothing in reply. "Oh. And she tried to start a war with the Cabal Empire, because of a potential future she saw in that stupid machine." Cayde stared at Selene. "Have I left anything out? She's dangerous, not just her actions, but her ideas and philosophy. We can't afford to have a repeat of Osiris."

Selene shook her head. "If she were as dangerous as you say, why is she still alive? Just take away her Ghost and terminate her for good."

Cayde groaned in frustration. "Because that would mean killing her Ghost and we can't afford to lose Ghosts. Those floating chatterboxes are all we have to connect us to the Traveler and the Light."

Selene reached out and placed her hand on Cayde's arm. "Cayde, I understand your feelings and why you think this is a bad idea. But she's not wrong. There comes a point where the only thing you have left is crazy." Selene looked away. "Ever since we found that Cabal signal transmitting outside the galaxy, I've had a bad feeling. That everything up to this point has been preparing us for the biggest threat we've ever seen. And I trust her."

Cayde stared at Selene in shock. "How…how can you even say that?" he sputtered.

Selene shrugged. "It's probably related to why you think Saoirse and Val trust me so much.

Cade rubbed his hands on his face and let out a long sigh. "You know, I should just lock you up with your crazy sister and you can spend the days affecting each other with your crazy."

"But you threw away the hole remember?" Selene said. Cayde just stared at her. "You're not making this easy for me," he said.

"When have Hunters ever made anything easy for you?" Selene said.

"Point taken," Cayde admitted. "Look. I am against you leaving and certainly against letting Nyx out of her prison, but I can only control one of those." Cayde reached out and gave Selene a pat on the shoulder. "Keep your knives sharp and your aim true. Good luck and good hunting."

"Thank you Cayde," Selene said with a slight smile. Cayde waved her off and headed back to the main plaza. "At this point, Zavala really will yell at me for leaving."

Selene watched his form disappear into the dusk. "Now to take care of a few other things," she said.

Deep in the Tower, there is a room filled with information and knowledge recovered from the ashes of the Old World. Fittingly, this room is known as the Warlock Library. It is a rare sight to see Guardians who aren't Warlocks perusing through the volumes of information. The Library is maintained by Ghosts who do not have Guardians. They cataloged the information and helped the Warlocks restore the old books and other data storage devices. That night, a female Warlock was acting as librarian on duty. She held a stack of books and was in the process of placing them on a shelf, when she saw a cloaked figure out of the corner of her eye. Startled, she dropped her books.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Selene said, helping to gather the books.

"No, no it's okay," the Warlock said, catching her breath. "Can I help you with anything Hunter?" she asked.

"I'm looking for a Ghost," Selene said. The Warlock looked at her blankly. "Um, there are many Ghosts in the Library," she said.

Selene sighed. "Okay. Just take a breath and take a moment to gather yourself."

"I'm sorry," the Warlock apologized. "You startled me, that's all." Selene waited patiently for the Warlock to calm down. She looked around in the dim light and said, "I find the Library a bit spooky, especially at night in the dark." The Warlock nodded vigorously in agreement. Selene drew her finger across a row books. "Now, the Ghost I'm looking for is very skittish and has a bit of stutter, especially when under duress."

The Warlock thought for a moment. "We don't keep track of the coming and going of the Ghosts in the Library, but the Ghost that was helping me might be a good place to start." Selene thanked the Warlock and wandered through the Library.

Selene found a Ghost hovering over a stack of books flitting nervously about like a humming bird and muttering to itself. Selene smiled to herself, certain this was the Ghost she was looking for. "Excuse me," she called out.

"Wah!" the Ghost shrieked and ran into a stack of papers, blowing them everywhere. The Ghost slowly emerged, twitching nervously. "Y-y-yes? Hello?"

"I'm sorry little Ghost, I didn't mean to startle you," Selene soothed. The Ghost slowly rose until it was eye to eye with Selene. "Well, you did startle me, and now I have a mess to clean up, and I don't know where Shiera went, so it will take me a w-w-while to clean it up." It looked around, avoiding eye contact with Selene.

"Well, let me make it up to you and help you pick these up," Selene said.

"I guess that would be acceptable," the Ghost said.

"But in return I need you to do something for me," Selene said. "I'm looking for a Ghost by the name of John Carter. Do you know him?"

"J-J-John Carter? No, I don't know anyone by that name," the Ghost said quickly. "No, no one by that name. I don't know any John Carter. What a strange name? I should get back to work. Where is Shiera? I hope she didn't get lost. That would be bad. Yes, very bad. I would have to find her." The Ghost turned back to Selene. "How do you know that name? There aren't many people who even know that name. Who are you?"

Selene pulled back her cloak, revealing her face in the dim light. The Ghost jumped back in realization. "You! You should not be here. No, this is not good. Not good at all." The Ghost flew in a circle, getting itself more and more worked up. Selene reached out and gently held the Ghost in her hands. It was vibrating slightly and rapidly blinking its eye.

"You are the same as always, Little Ghost," Selene soothed.

"Y-Y-You should not be here," the Ghost stuttered. "I thought you were dead,"

"I'm hurt you would think that about me," Selene pouted. "I would really appreciate it if you could do something for me."

"Like what?" the Ghost asked. Selene told it what she wanted.

"No! You can't make me!" the Ghost cried and tried to fly away. Selene held on as the Ghost tried to escape her grasp. "I won't go back! She scares me!"

"She is not that bad," Selene reasoned.

"How would you know? I'm her Ghost! I've seen what's in her head, what she thinks. I know what she knows! It's madness! Madness! She will kill us all!" the Ghost shrieked.

Annoyed, Selene wrapped the Ghost in her cloak to muffle its voice. "Shut up you idiot! Be quiet in the library!" she hissed.

When the Ghost stopped shouting, Selene carefully unwrapped it from her cloak. "Listen. This is important. Nyx might be crazy and dangerous, but I think she was right. And she will need your help."

"I don't like this at all. No, not at all," the Ghost muttered.

"It doesn't matter if you like it or not," Selene said. "When Nyx gets out, do you know the first person she's going to find?"

"You?" the Ghost asked hopefully. "Wait. You said _when._ Don't you mean _if?_ "

"Ha, you're funny," Selene replied sarcastically. "When Nyx gets out, she's going to go looking for you. Because you are her partner, her Ghost. She needs you and I need you."

"You are just as bad as Nyx, only you are nicer," the Ghost complained. "I suppose I don't have a choice in this matter?"

"Not really," Selene admitted. After she was done, the Ghost watched her leave. "This is not going to end well. Not at all," it muttered to itself.


	16. Session 15: Valentina

**INTERVIEWER:** And so here we are.

 **VALENTINA:** Seems that way.

 **INTERVIEWER:** From what Selene told us, you were the only one hesitant about coming here. Care to explain?

 **VALENTINA:** I thought I had explained that to you well enough already.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So what changed your mind?

 **VALENTINA:** What more do you want me to say on this matter? You expect me to make a reasonable, five point presentation what influenced me to change my mind? Is it because I'm a Warlock and we're expected to give long, complicated answers about everything?

 **INTERVIEWER:** That's not what I'm implying.

 **VALENTINA:** It sure sounds that way to me. Have you heard of Occam's Razor?

 **INTERVIEWER:** Enlighten me.

 **VALENTINA:** Occam's Razor states that among competing hypothesis, the one with fewest assumptions should be selected. Basically, it means that for a given problem, the simplest solution is the easiest to test. You could also take it to mean that the simplest solution is the best answer. Like I said before, Selene appealed to my nature.

 **INTERVIEWER:** And how did she do that?

 **VALENTINA:** Have you been paying attention to anything I've said? Go back and look over your notes and transcripts of our conversations. I'm pretty sure I've stated my reasoning multiple times.

 **INTERVIEWER:** So let's use Occam's Razor in this situation. Right now, give me the simplest explanation you can.

 **VALENTINA: …**

 **INTERVIEWER: …**

 **VALENTINA:** Okay then. The simplest explanation I can give that your simple mind can comprehend is this: I wanted to know if it was feasible to open a stable bridge between your universe and ours and see if we could learn from your technology and use it to help us fight our enemies better. Is that simple enough for you?

* * *

After the meeting with Selene and Saoirse, Valentina walked back to her apartment while lost in thought. Before she knew it, she arrived at her doorstep and startled herself. "What happened? How did I get here so fast?" she wondered.

"You were spacing out pretty hard," Valkyrie said. "There were a few times I wondered if you were going to run into something."

"Why didn't you get my attention to prevent such a thing?" Valentina asked.

"Because it would have been funny to watch you bump into stuff," Valkyrie replied with a chuckle. Valentina glared at her Ghost and stepped inside. Now that she was home, she really was at a loss for what to do. She stared at the piles of junk she'd accumulated over the years and she felt hollow inside.

Seeing the look on Valentina's face, Valkyrie hovered in close. "Hey. What's wrong? You still thinking about what Selene said?"

"Among other things," Valentina said. Eventually, she walked over to her chair and sat down in front of her keyboard. "How do I justify leaving and running away with the people I consider my friends?" she wondered.

Valkyrie floated around the room. "I don't think I can answer that for you. If it were up to me, I'd tell you to go."

Frowning, Valentina turned to face her Ghost. "Why?"

Valkyrie sighed. "I don't know. Just a feeling I guess. One of those instinctual things that can't really be put into words." She turned towards Valentina. "Ghosts spend a long time looking for their Guardians, most are still searching. Do you want to know how I knew that you were MY Guardian?"

Valentina had never heard this story before. Valkyrie never spoke about it and Valentina had never thought to ask. She nodded her head.

Valkyrie looked around, as if embarrassed. "I just… _knew._ I can't really put it into words or explain it in a way that makes a whole lot of sense. I chose you to be my Guardian because I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that you were my Guardian." Valkyrie floated over and settled on top of Valentina's head. "Until I found you, I came across several potential candidates. I'm sure they would have made great Guardians. But something deep inside told me that they weren't the right ones. So I kept looking. And when I found you, it was like a lightning bolt out of the blue. You were mine and I was yours. That's all there is to it."

Valentina was quite shocked and humbled at Valkyrie's words. "There could have been others?" she asked softly.

"Yes. But my instincts told me to keep looking. And I'm glad I did," Valkyrie said.

Valentina put her hand to her chin and thought about what Valkyrie had told her. She realized her Ghost had a point. Sometimes, for better or worse, decisions were made on nothing more than a feeling or gut instinct. No amount of rationale could explain why. So why was this so hard? Valentina suspected it was partially because she was a Warlock, and Warlocks tended to ask "Why?" Why this and why that? There was nothing wrong with this way of thinking, but it tended to slow down the decision making process. "Why does Selene think this is a good idea?" she asked.

"I don't think Selene can explain the reason she does things," Valkyrie said simply. "If you were to ask, she'd probably just shrug and say, 'It sounded like a good idea at the time.' She's a Hunter. Who knows how they think?"

"You're probably right," Valentina agreed. She turned to her keyboard, turned it on and started to compose a new song. Valkyrie noted it was very melancholic and probably represented Valentina's state of mind at the time. It bothered Valkyrie that there was very little she could do to help her troubled Guardian.

Valentina shut her brain off and let the feelings flow through her and into the music. The hole she felt in her heart seemed like it was getting bigger and there was nothing she could do to close it again. The last notes faded away as she finished playing. With a sniff, Valentina stopped recording and played it back.

"You're lucky I'm a Ghost. Otherwise, I'd be a blubbering hot mess right now," Valkyrie said.

"I feel like a blubbering hot mess," Valentina replied sadly. She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling, causing Valkyrie to fall off her head. "This feels like a no-win situation. No matter what I do, I'll be abandoning someone."

"So it sounds to me like the question is, who will you feel worse for abandoning? The Tower or Selene?" Valkyrie asked.

Valentina searched her feelings. It was true that there were fewer Guardians these days, but that meant everyone had to pick up the slack. And while things were relatively quiet, there was no shortage of things to do to keep the walls up and Humanity safe. She was a Guardian, but Valentina felt like she hadn't really contributed anything meaningful to the Tower, despite what she had told Selene earlier. If she left the Tower, she would certainly feel remorse for abandoning everyone.

But she would never be able to live with herself if Selene and Saoirse left her behind. Selene had helped her when she had no right to. To Selene, it might have been a random, "Why not?" moment, but for Valentina, it was an important milestone in her young second life. Selene helped her, but didn't hold her hand or do things for her. She had learned quite a lot from the Exo Hunter and she was eternally grateful.

Saoirse on the other hand, was a welcome relief to the monotony of everyday life. Valentina was quite baffled how the Titan could be so outgoing all the time. But lately, thoughts of Saoirse gave Valentina a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Probably due to the things Saoirse had said in her drunken state the other day. But what did that mean for Valentina? The mixed signals she was getting just made her feel confused. And if she was left behind, she would never know the true meaning of those feelings.

This line of thinking unnerved Valentina and scared her a little. She wasn't sure what this meant or where these feelings suddenly came from. "Valkyrie? You'd never abandon me right?" she asked suddenly.

Valkyrie zipped into view. "Never! What would even make you think such a thing?"

"I don't know," Valentina replied. "I don't know much about my past before I was a Guardian. This might not make much sense, but I don't want to be abandoned by people I care about."

"It makes perfect sense," Valkyrie said. "People want to feel useful to others. No one likes to be alone. Except Selene. I think she's perfectly happy to go off by herself."

Valentina cracked a grin. "Perhaps the reason she's so comfortable with leaving everyone and going back with them."

"It sounds like you've made up your mind," Valkyrie said.

Valentina gave a slight nod. "I think so. If we were able to establish a stable path from here to there and we were able to receive aid, I think that would go a long way in helping the Tower, don't you think?"

"Certainly makes sense to me," Valkyrie said. "And if something goes horribly wrong and we're stuck on the other side with no way to get back?"

"Then I would still be able to study their technology and learn ways to implement its use here," Valentina said. She sat up and stared into her lap. "And I'd never forgive myself if they left me behind," she added softly.

Valkyrie nudged Valentina on the cheek. "Maybe you should talk this through with someone, just to be sure."

"Who?" Valentina asked.

"Well I'm sure Selene is long gone by now, but Saoirse is probably still around," Valkyrie said. "She's probably working out in the gym."

Valentina nodded and let out a big sigh. She wiped her face and straightened up her outfit. "Off we go then," she said and left her apartment.

Valentina heard Saoirse long before she saw her. The sounds of exertion and hitting a punching bag echoed through the empty arena. Like most other places, the gym located in an unused area of the Tower and was pieced together from equipment scrounged from city ruins and pieces built by local craftsmen. A single lightbulb lit the corner where Saoirse was hitting a heavy bag. Valentina stopped to watch. Saoirse was a tall and imposing figure, a text-book definition of what people thought Titan should be. She wore a cut-off t-shirt and shorts for her work out, showing off her toned and muscular body. Her bright red hair was plastered to her scalp with sweat, indicating she had been at it for a while. Saoirse wouldn't talk about it, but Valentina figured she had been a fighter or some kind of professional athlete in her previous life. She struck the bag hard and was rewarded with a satisfying _THUMP_.

"Enjoying the show?" Saoirse asked, breathing heavily and bringing Valentina back to the present. Saoirse gave the punching bag one last heavy punch, before walking to her bag in the corner. She grabbed her towel and took a long pull on her water bottle.

Valentina walked over and gently pushed the punching bag aside. Standing there in the dim light, body glistening with sweat, Valentina was reminded of a Greek goddess statue. Saoirse, Greek god of the Crucible and patron saint of fanboys everywhere. The thought gave Valentina a smile.

"Hello? Earth to Val? Check, check, one two, one two?" Saoirse asked, waving a hand in Valentina's face.

"Sorry. I was thinking of something else," Valentina admitted.

"Staring lustily at my hot body?" Saoirse asked and waggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing Valentina to blush. Saoirse toweled off and threw an arm around Valentina's shoulders, towering over the young Warlock like an ancient redwood. Intentional or not, Saoirse always seemed to press Valentia's buttons.

"No, I wasn't staring at your body," Valentina said quietly. "Well not really anyway,"

Saoirse laughed. "Don't worry about it. What did you want to talk about?" Valentina pushed her way out of Saoirse's grasp and found a stool to sit on. She twiddled her thumbs nervously as she thought about what to say. Saoirse pulled up a chair and sat backwards. She stared at Valentina and took a swig of her water bottle.

"So, you know those guys we found?" Valentina asked.

"Yeah, what about them?" Saoirse asked.

"Well, I think Selene wants to go back with them," Valentina fidgeted on her stool.

"And?" Saoirse prodded.

"Well…" Valentina trailed off.

Saoirse sighed and hung her head. "You want to tag along with Selene?" Valentina stared at Saoirse and nodded her head.

"Why?" Saoirse asked.

"Why? Um, well," Valentina started and looked away as she tried to organize her thoughts. Right now, the melodies in her head were fighting against each other, creating a dissonant mishmash and making it difficult to think. A low, steady beat appeared underneath the discord and slowly built in volume until it was the dominant thought in her head. Focusing on that helped center her thoughts. Valentina blew out a deep breath and focused on Saoirse. "I want to go with them to learn about where they are from," she said.

"Okay. Sounds like something Selene would say," Saoirse replied. "Care to elaborate?"

"Okay, it's like this," Valentina said, settling in her seat. "Everything we know is based on fragments and little snippets of information left over from the Collapse right? So that means there are large gaps in our timeline, understanding and knowledge. So much about the past and our advanced technology has been lost. From what it sounds like, these people come from a world that is just as advanced technologically, if not more, than our own Golden Age. Now, imagine if this works, that we are able to open a dimensional portal back to their universe. Not only would we be helping them get back to where they are from, but we will also be able to establish a line of communication with them and bring back technology that can help us here. And just think, we will be able to share knowledge and ideas, and perhaps they can send us aid to fight against our enemies here. No more scrounging, no more fighting the Fallen for scraps, no more negotiating with the Reef for salvage rights. This could be what we need to kick-start a second Golden Age."

"Wow. Sounds pretty convincing," Saoirse said. Valentina smiled. "Selene wants to explore their worlds and you want to learn their secrets." Saoirse leaned back in her chair and spread her arms. "What about me then?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind if you came along," Valentina mumbled. "But if you did come, you could fight what's-his-name anytime you wanted right?"

Saoirse thought for a moment and nodded. "You do have a good point there. I would like to get a rematch with that guy and maybe fight more of them. I wonder if they really are as tough as they say."

"Well I think they did a pretty good job proving that," Valentina said. Saoirse narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he DID crush your favorite helmet with just his hands," Valentina said nervously. "From what I understand, those three and the others like them have been genetically modified to be bigger, faster, stronger, smarter, with quicker reflexes and response times than normal humans."

"So you're saying we've got nothing against them?" Saoirse asked.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Valentina said hurriedly. 'Well, sort of. But that's not the point! Plus their armor is way more advanced and completely beyond anything we have here."

"You're not helping your case," Saoirse growled and Valentina flinched. "I'm sorry, please calm down," she soothed. "The only advantage we have is our Light and the abilities that it affords us. Perhaps some of our weapons too." Saoirse stared blankly at Valentina, who sighed in frustration. "It's like this okay? Physically, head to head, they have the advantage. When it comes to armor, again advantage them. The only area we stand a chance is abilities."

"So you're saying there's a chance then?" Saoirse asked. Valentina collapsed inwardly on her seat. "Sure. But if you still want to fight them one-on-one, be my guest. It's not like they can kill you or anything."

"True, and that's another advantage we have," Saoirse added. Valentina nodded in agreement. "So then!" Saoirse slapped her thighs and stood up. "I need to get back and take a shower. Care to join me?"

"What? In the shower?" Valentina squeaked and nearly fell off her stool. Saoirse laughed and said, "Only if you want to."

"Well, it's not like I wouldn't want too, but I don't want to bother you, and it's getting late, and there's a lot of things I have to do if we're actually going to go through with this." She gasped and stopped. "What's wrong?" Saoirse asked.

"I just realized something!" Valentina said. "Ikora's going to kill me! Oh, we are in so much trouble! Zavala will stick you on wall duty for a month! I'll be regulated to the Library for the rest of my life, not that there's anything wrong with that, just I'll never get the chance to go out and finish my research, or find materials for my project. Selene will be fine since Cayde doesn't care. Or does he?" Saoirse sighed and tucked Valentina under her arm, who was still muttering to herself, and headed back to her room.

The next evening, they all met back at Saoirse's apartment. When Selene walked in, she noticed Saoirse was smiling to herself and Valentina was more nervous than usual. Since her face didn't allow for subtle motions, Selene's face remained blank and she kept her thoughts to herself. "So then," she said with a shrug.

Saoirse's grin grew even bigger. "Looks like we're not breaking up after all!"

Selene turned to Valentina. "Are you sure?" she asked. Valentina nodded. "You've stuck with me this long, for better or worse when you didn't have to. I want to repay that in some way."

Selene gave a curt nod. "As long as that's what you really want, I have no problem with that."

"And the chance to learn about new technology that might help the City is just a bonus," Valentina added. She stood up and they all gathered around the table. Ghost, Musashi, and Valkyrie also appeared. "So what's the plan boss?" Saoirse asked.

"The first thing we need to do is go through our inventories and figure out what to take and what we can leave behind," Selene said.

"Weapons. Definitely take weapons," Saoirse said.

Selene rolled her eyes. "I think that's a given."

"What about resources? Spinmetal, helium filaments, that kind of thing?" Valentina asked.

"Probably not. We only use those here in the Tower and for upgrading weapons and armor. I don't think that will be an issue where we are going," Selene said.

"Perhaps, but it won't hurt to be prepared," Ghost spoke up.

Selene sighed. "How about this then. We each pick a few weapons, maybe an extra set of armor, and divide the resources between the three Ghosts. That way we can carry more. And some of the stuff can certainly get left behind."

"Well what are you taking?" Saoirse asked. After a moment of thought, Selene said. "Alright Ghost, all of it on the table."

"What do you mean?" Ghost asked.

"All the weapons in my inventory. On the table. Now," Selene said. Ghost grumbled to itself and a pile of weapons appeared on the table. "Definitely taking these," she said and put her Hawkmoon, Stillpiercier, and heavy machinegun aside. "And the space laser. And the Gjallarhorn." Selene added the weapons to the pile.

"Sleeper Simulant? Good choice," Saoirse gave and approving nod.

Selene looked at the remaining weapons. "Better take my Distant Star. And a Matador 64. And my Raze-Lighter. Because swords are cool right?"

"Oh yes. Indeed," Saoirse agreed.

Selene added two more hand cannons to her pile. "And First Curse and Lingering Song." She stared at her pile of weapons. "Stolen Will too?" She added the shotgun as well.

Valentina stared at Selene's pile of preferred weapons. "That's a lot of hand cannons. Sure you don't want something else?" Selene shrugged.

Saoirse pulled the spare weapons off the table and rubbed her hands together excitedly. "My turn!" Musashi put all of Saoirse's weapons on the table. "It's like Christmas!"

"No it isn't," Selene said. "You're giving stuff up, not getting new stuff."

"Shut it. Let me enjoy this for a moment will you?" Saoirse said as she looked over her guns. "I'll take this, and this, and this, and oh this looks good! Maybe this, and this."

Valentina looked over Saoirse's selected weapons. "What's this?" she asked, pointing to an auto rifle.

"That is Fabian Strategy. A most excellent auto rifle if I do say so myself," Saoirse replied with smug satisfaction.

"Two shotguns and a fusion rifle?" Valentina asked. "Are you trying to start a fight or end one?"

"Hey! You didn't complain about Selene's choices," Saoirse said.

Valentina shrugged and her eyes went wide. "You want to take that?" she asked.

Saoirse smile turned evil. "Of course! Sometimes, you just want to watch the world burn. What better way to do that than Dragon's Breath?"

Valentina said nothing and traced the intricate patterns on Saoirse's sword with her finger. "And a sword for you as well?"

Saoirse quickly snatched up said weapon and held it close. "Dark-Drinker is my baby. Don't make fun of my baby!" Saoirse lovingly set the sword aside and put the rest of the unwanted weapons in the pile with Selene's. "Your turn girly."

Valentina stared at the table and nodded to Valkyrie. In a flash of light, Valentina's weapons appeared on the table. "I will be taking Tlaloc-"

"Figures," Saoirse mumbled. Selene elbowed her in the ribs and Valentina glared at her before continuing. "Susanoo for sure, and a heavy machine gun." She put aside the three weapons and looked over the rest of her inventory. "Zhalo Supercell would be nice, and so would Invective."

"I'm sensing a theme here," Saoirse said. "Everyone has at least one shotgun. Coincidence?"

"Shut up and let her finish," Selene said and punched Saoirse in the shoulder. Saoirse made a pouty face and rubbed her arm.

Valentina looked over her remaining options. "This scout rifle will be good. So would a Truth rocket launcher. And because the rest of you have them, I will add my Bolt-Caster sword as well."

"Nice!" Saoirse said and excitedly pumped her fist. "We are going to kick the ever loving shit out of anything we find."

Valentina put her unwanted weapons aside and Valkyrie scanned the rest to her inventory. "Now that's settled, we need to figure out what else we're taking," Selene said.

"Sparrows for sure," Saoirse said.

"Extra armor pieces would be good," Valentina offered.

"Ammo synth. Lots and lots of ammo synth," Selene added. Each of the Guardians went through their inventories and kept a few extra helmets, boots, gloves and body armor. As for the rest, if it wasn't ammo synthesis, it was tossed out.

"Wow. I never realized how much junk we carry," Saoirse said, looking around at the mess.

"Of course not. You're not the one who has to carry it," Musashi spoke up. Saoirse glared at her Ghost, who tried to hide behind Valkyrie.

Selene thought for a while. Finally she said, "I think we should each take a ship as well."

"Can you even do that?" Saoirse asked.

"It shouldn't be much of a problem since we aren't carrying so much dead weight now," Ghost said.

Saoirse gave Ghost a sideways glance as if she didn't believe it. "If you say so, but I don't want to hear any complaining."

"When do we ever complain?" Valkyrie spoke up.

"Is that a serious question?" Selene asked. The three Ghosts stared at each other and started to chuckle.

They talked long into the night, discussing and arguing over the plan. When they finally reached an agreeable conclusion, Selene realized what time it was. "Now that we've got this all hashed out, I'm going to go and speak to the Vanguard." With that, she left Saoirse and Valentina. Realizing they were now alone, Valentina started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Saoirse sat on the couch and motioned for Valentina to join her. Valentina sat down uncertainly, making sure to leave space between them.

"What's wrong?" Saorise asked.

Valentina fiddled her thumbs. "For one, the last time we had an in-depth talk like this, you were pretty drunk."

Saoirse's eyes lit up. "Is that how it is? You trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

"No! It's not like that at all!" Valentina replied hurriedly.

Saoirse put her hands over her chest and made a pained expression on her face. "Valentina! How could you?"

Valentina's face turned bright red. "Stop it will you?" She hit Saorise as hard as she could and turned away.

Saoirse sighed and reached out for Valentina. "I'm just teasing you know." Valentina nodded in reply, but refused to look at her. Saoirse scooted next to her and turned Valentina around so they were facing each other, but Valentina continued to look away. "Hey. Look at me please?" Valentina allowed Saoirse to turn her head so they were looking each other in the eyes. The butterflies in Valentina's stomach went into overdrive and she swallowed nervously.

"I can't begin to understand what you are going though right now, but I had a similar experience myself," Saoirse said.

"Your Valkyrie friend?" Valentina asked. Saoirse's face became wistful and she nodded. "You're a strong young woman Valentina. I'm proud of you, and I know Selene is too."

Valentina's mind went blank. This woman, whom she admired greatly, was proud of her? How could that be? Saoirse was big, strong, confident, and very proud, everything Valentina herself was not. She was pretty sure Ikora had said she was proud of her, but it didn't have the same impact as this. In a daze, Valentina fell into Saoirse.

Taken aback, Saoirse put her arms around Valentina and gently stroked her hair. "I don't want to force you into anything. Take your time. Figure things out and decide for yourself what you want. I'll be here for you and so will Selene."

Valentina nodded her reply and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling emotionally drained. "I don't deserve any of you," she whispered.

Selene quietly walked in and took note of the scene before her. She would be lying if she didn't think something like this would happen. She shook her head and paid it no mind. What people did on their own time was their business. Selene cleared her throat to get Saoirse's attention. "I spoke to the Vanguard. Make any last minute preparations and rest up. We leave tomorrow. I'm going to tell our guests to be ready to go." Saoirse nodded. After a minute, Selene added, "If you have any goodbyes, make them too, but don't be obvious about it."

"Got it," Saoirse replied.

Selene turned to leave, but had a final thought. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you where you stand and your Ghost too."

"I'd never dream of it," Saoirse replied.

Selene stared over her shoulder for a long minute, then departed.

Valentina woke up and found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. A wave of panic swept over her until she realized where she was, then the panic was replaced by embarrassment. She found herself lying on Saoirse's couch and covered by a blanket. Valentina quickly pulled the blanket over her head and wished for the ground to open up and swallow her.

"Up and at 'em lazy bones," Saoirse called out and ripped the blanket off. Valentina opened her eyes and found Saoirse standing over her in full armor. She held her helmet under on arm and the blanket in the other. "Get ready we're leaving soon."

Valentina sat up and rubbed her arms. "Did…did anything happen last night?" she asked.

Saoirse frowned. "What do you mean?"

Valentina gave her a look. "You know. Did anything…happen?"

"Between you and me?" Saoirse asked. Valentina blushed and nodded. Saoirse thought for a moment and shook her head. "Nope. After Selene left, you said you were feeling tired, so I gave you a blanket and you slept on the couch."

Valentina wasn't so sure. "Is that all that happened?"

"Why? Were you expecting something else?" Saoirse asked. Valentina flinched. "I don't know."

Saoirse rolled her eyes. "Just what kind of floozy to you take me for?" she asked. "Grab your stuff. We're supposed to meet Selene and the others in the Tower twenty minutes ago."

Valentina's eyes went wide and she jumped up. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?" she shouted and ran around getting ready.

Saoirse chuckled. "Relax. I'm kidding. We're not supposed to meet for another hour." Saoirse ducked out of the way as Valentina threw a cushion at her.

Valentina dressed and checked her inventory, making sure she had everything she thought she would need. When she was satisfied, she met Saorise by the door. "Ready?" Saoirse asked.

"Nope. Let's go," Valentina said.

"Ha, sounds like something Selene would say," Saoirse replied with a grin. They walked out and Saoirse locked the door behind them. "What do you think will happen to our rooms?" Valentina asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Someone will probably go through them. The good stuff will get taken and the junk will be recycled or something," Saoirse said.

Valentina frowned. "I almost feel bad. I have a lot of stuff in my apartment."

"Speaking of which, is there anything you want to get from there? You've been at my place for the last few days," Saoirse said.

Valentina thought for a moment. "Maybe just one or two things. I'll be right back." She took off, leaving Saoirse behind. She reached her apartment shortly after and went inside. "What are you getting?" Valkyrie asked.

"Just the audio files from my latest project," Valentina said. She quickly made copies and put them in a pouch on her belt. She took one last look around her apartment. "It will be hard starting over," she mused.

"True, but let's worry about that later," Valkyrie said. Valentina nodded and left her apartment for the last time. She quickly met back up with Saoirse and they made their way through the Tower. "I have to make one last stop. I'll meet you in the Hangar," Valentina said and broke off from Saoirse again. This time she made her way to the Library, hoping Shiera was there.

Valentina opened the doors and was relieved to find Shiera at the front desk. Shiera looked up and smiled when she saw Valentina. "What brings you here so early?" she asked.

Valentina smiled and pulled out a media storage device. "This is that project I was telling you about," she said and handed it to Shiera. "It's not quite finished, but I think you'll like it."

Shiera gave Valentina a funny look. "If it's incomplete, why are you giving it to me now?"

"Well, I'm going to be away from the Tower for a while and I don't know when I'll have the chance to finish it," Valentina replied and nervously rubbed the back of her head.

Shiera stared long and hard and Valentina. "Going on an extended operation with your fireteam?"

"Yeah. Something like that," Valentina replied sheepishly. Shiera shrugged and tucked the device away. "I'll get to it when I have a chance. I look forward to hearing it." She leaned over the counter and gave Valentina a brief hug. "Good luck and be safe."

"I'll try," Valentina promised and waved goodbye.

"You really suck at lying," Valkyrie said as they left the Library.

"Shut up. That's probably a good thing," Valentina replied and made her way to the Hangar. When she arrived, everyone was waiting for her, including the Vanguard. Valentina paled slightly and swallowed nervously.

"Ah! There she is, woman of the hour!" Cayde exclaimed. Valentina ignored him and stood next to Saoirse.

"Your time here was short, but I believe it was well spent," Zavala said. "Thanks to your input, Lord Shaxx has made some suggestions to the Crucible to make it even more effective."

"Always glad to help sir," Allen replied.

Cayde shook his head and sighed. "Man I wish I could have seen it. Watching the three of you steamroll your way through the Crucible as a well-oiled machine has REALLY gotten my blood pumping. Whadya say Ikora? Ready to get out there again?"

Ikora gave Cayde a dangerous look. "Hardly. But while were talking about it, what about that time-"

"Ah! Hey! Look at that, it's time to go!" Cayde quickly interrupted. Allen, Steve, Aurora, and Doctor Chudnoffsky said their good byes and stepped onboard Selene's ship. Once they were gone, Zavala turned back to the Guardians. "Be careful and stick to your plan. Oryx is gone, but we can expect that the Hive and Taken will still pose a threat."

"Understood sir," Saoirse said.

"I'm almost sorry to see them go," Amanda Holliday spoke up. "I had the chance to look at their armor and it's some pretty advanced stuff. I might have a few ideas to work on."

"I'm not one for fancy speeches, so everything Zavala said, pretend I said that too," Cayde said. Selene rolled her eyes and shared a long look with Cayde. "Hey. Remember what I said," he said quietly. Selene gave a short nod and stepped onboard her ship.

Ikora placed her hand on Valentina's shoulder. "You'll do fine."

"Thank you," Valentina mumbled and quickly ran up the ramp. Saoirse joined shorty after and the ramp closed. Seating was a bit cramped and everyone managed to buckle in. Selene took the controls and piloted her ship out of the Hangar. Once they broke orbit and were headed out into space, Selene switched on the autopilot and went back to meet with everyone.

"Ghost, disable long range communications and all voice recorders," she said. Ghost appeared and quickly flashed. "Done," it replied.

"What's this all about?" Allen asked.

Selene put her hands on her hips. "I'm going to put this simply. We," and she pointed to herself, Saorise and Valentina, "are coming with you."

Allen and Steve shared a look. "Okay, why?" Allen asked.

"Did you really think I was gonna let you go without gettin' in one more ass-kicking?" Saoirse asked.

"You really are a glutton for punishment," Steve said.

"Hey! I was talking about you, not me," Saoirse said.

"Yeah, sure you were," Steve said.

Allen turned back to Selene. "What about you?"

"I want to explore your worlds, see what there is to see. Maybe explore some backwoods, uninhabited planet. Meet some of your aliens, maybe kill some of them," Selene said. "I've always been fascinated by new things. Besides, I'm a Hunter. It's in my blood."

Aurora turned to Valentina. "Why are you coming?"

Valentina looked down in her lap. "I want to explore and study your technology and possibly bring it back here to help the City."

Doctor Chudnoffsky scoffed at this idea. "And here you gave me a high-minded ideal about not running from your problems. I say that is exactly what you are doing."

"I can see why you would think that, but I stand by what I said," Valentina said. "And if you don't like it, you can kiss Saoirse's butt."

"Wait. What? Why does he have to kiss my ass?" Saoirse said.

"Because I don't want him anywhere near me," Valentina said.

"Okay, okay. Focus here people," Selene said, snapping her fingers. "I'm not going to waste my breath trying to explain everything now, so I'll wait until we get there."

"What can we expect?" Allen asked.

"You remember those guys you fought when you blew up the portal?" Selene asked.

"Yep," Steve said.

"And those guys you helped me fight when I found you?" Selene added.

"Yep," Steve replied.

"Think of that, but worse," Selene said. "There will probably be Hive, but also other enemies we call Taken."

"Taken? Taken by what?" Allen asked.

Selene shrugged. "Not sure how it works, but there used to be big baddie by the name of Oryx who had the ability to 'Take' beings and turn them into his own personal army."

"If I may," Valentina interjected and Selene motioned for her to continue. "What we believe happens is Oryx uses his dark power to open a rupture to…somewhere. We aren't exactly sure, but the prisoner passes through the rupture and is twisted and shaped into something different. The overall form is the same, but what returns is a subject completely obedient to the will of Oryx."

"Sounds like some really dark stuff," Steve said.

"It is. To our knowledge, no Guardian has been Taken by Oryx. There is some debate if Guardians can even be Taken, due to the Light, but no one has been suicidal enough to try," Valentina said. Selene went back to the cockpit and everyone was left to their own thoughts.


	17. Final Session

_(Door opens, then shuts)_

 **SELENE:** You're not the normal guy. Who're you? What happened, did you all get fed up with him?

 **INTERVIEWER 2:** No, nothing like that. I just wanted to have the chance to talk. It's not every day you get to meet someone from a different universe.

 **SELENE:** So do I get to know your name, or is that not how this works?

 **INTERVIEWER 2:** Sure. My name is Thomas Lasky. I'm the captain of the _UNSC Infinity_.

 **SELENE:** Oh. You're already ten times better in my book than that other guy.

 **LASKY:** How so?

 **SELENE:** He wouldn't tell me his name. I don't like him very much.

 **LASKY:** _(Laughs)_ From what I've seen from your friends, they don't much like him either. I think Valentina called him a 'Suit.'

 **SELENE:** Yeah, that makes sense. I kinda got that vibe from him too. I imagine he's some kind of spook in addition to a suit right?

 **LASKY:** How could you tell?

 **SELENE:** Believe it or not, we have spooks where we come from too. I think spooks are all the same, no matter where you go.

 **LASKY:** Perhaps.

 **SELENE:** So why are you really here?

 **LASKY:** _(sigh)_ Right to the point I see. You've been here for a little while-

 **SELENE:** Really? I couldn't tell.

 **LASKY:** _(clears throat)_ Anyway, you've been asking to see each other.

 _(Door opens)_

 **SAOIRSE:** Hey! Look who it is!

 **VALENTINA:** Hello Selene.

 **SELENE:** Oh. It's you.

 **SAOIRSE:** Really? Is that all you have to say?

 **SELENE:** I just wanted to make sure you weren't dead. And you're not. Good to know.

 **VALENTINA:** Oh. Well I'm fine, thank you very much.

 **LASKY:** There will be time for catching up later. Please have a seat.

 _(chairs scrape across the floor)_

 **LASKY:** Now that you're all here, I'd like to hear what happened when you reached the portal.

 **SAOIRSE:** Well what happened was, lots of bad guys showed up and we kicked their asses.

 **VALENTINA:** That's not _exactly_ what happened.

 **SAOIRSE:** Close enough.

 **SELENE:** I do have a question. What happens when you're done with us?

 **LASKY:** What do you mean?

 **SELENE:** Don't give me that. Once you're done picking our brains, you're not just going to let us go. The spooks and big wigs haven't decided if we're dangerous or not and if we need to be kept locked up. And it will only get worse for me and Valentina. I'm sure Chudnoffsky is chomping at the bit to get a hold of her, and science geeks will have a field day with me.

 **LASKY:** I'd be lying if I said that wasn't the case. How about we finish this up and we'll talk about the other stuff later. Sound fair?

 **SELENE:** It's not like we have much of a choice.

 **SAOIRSE:** Don't mind her, she's just being a stiff.

 **VALENTINA:** What happened next was we landed on the Dreadnaught and we went from there.

* * *

By now the ship entered Saturn's orbit and was on approach to the Dreadnaught. Selene took the controls and piloted down to the landing zone. She put the ship in hover, jumped off the ramp and landed next to the others. "Alright Ghost, do your thing." Selene held out her hand and Ghost appeared. It scanned her ship and to the Spartans amazement, the ship disappeared in a flash of light.

"Where did it go?" Steve asked.

"Into my inventory," Selene said.

"Yeah, but how?" Allen asked.

"Well, I pretty much converted it into a set of electronic blueprints and placed the blueprints in storage. It's the same thing for the weapons and armor that Selene carries but doesn't have equipped," Ghost said.

"Oh. Like hammer space then," Steve said. Selene and Ghost shared a look. "Sure. We'll go with that," Ghost said. Selene pulled out her hand cannon. "Gear up and let's go." Everyone pulled out a weapon and held it at the ready. Doctor Chudnoffsky merely patted his hip where his sidearm was holstered. Selene took point, followed by Valentina, the Spartans, Doctor Chudnoffsky, and Saoirse brought up the rear.

"What is this place?" Allen asked.

"Remember that guy Oryx I was talking about? This is his flagship," Selene said.

"What happened here?" Steve asked, looking around at the devastation.

Selene sighed. "Another of our enemies, the Cabal, crashed a ship to act as a beach head for an invasion of the Dreadnaught. It went about as well as you'd expect."

"That's crazy," Aurora said.

"That's what we thought," Saoirse said. Selene led them off to the right and through a doorway. A narrow, twisting path opened up into a cavernous chamber. "See that platform up ahead?" Selene pointed. "That's where we need to go."

"How do we get there?" Steve asked and Selene pointed to another doorway, a little to the right of where they were. "Through there." Selene led the way and surprisingly, they encountered no resistance. "Maybe the Hive are busy somewhere else?" Aurora suggested.

Saoirse snorted. "Just keep telling yourself that."

Chudnoffsky had been to the Dreadnaught before, and every time it seemed there was something new. He cautiously peered over the edge of the platform. "How far down does this go?" he asked.

"Don't know and I don't care to find out," Selene said. They kept walking and reached a new chamber with a raised walkway in the center. Selene led them up the stairs and onto the walkway. In front of them was a short hallway with six statues arranged in a row, three on each side. Beyond that, the walkway dropped off to the platform Selene had pointed out earlier. Two sets of stair led up either side of a raised altar. In the center was two arches that resembled horns.

Selene motioned for everyone to gather around. "Okay, this is how this is going to work. See those two horn looking things?" Allen and Steve nodded. "That's the portal we're going to activate. To do that, we need to power up these statues," Selene said and pointed.

"Okay. We've seen this before," Allen said. "And there's like a glowing green ball thing that goes in the statue?"

"Yes, but in this case there are two orbs that need to be placed in the statue at the same time," Selene said. "If the timing is off, it won't work and you'll have to find the orbs all over again."

"Got it," Steve said.

Selene led them back to the central chamber. "The first two orbs are here. After that, they'll be located on the right and left sides, further and further back. Now, as soon as we pick up the orbs, Taken will start to appear and a barrier will block us in this middle room. Allen and Steve, your job is to stay in this area, kill all the Taken that appear and shoot at the barrier to bring it down. Val, you're with me on the right. Saoirse, you take Aurora and go left. You know what to look for?"

"Yep," Saoirse nodded.

Selene turned to Valentina and Aurora. "Your job is to keep the Taken off our backs while we're running the orbs. Also, a barrier will appear in the doorways leading back here from either side, so you'll have to take those down."

"And where am I during all of this?" Chudnoffsky asked. Selene stared at him. "Just try not to die," she said. Chudnoffsky grumbled to himself.

"Is everyone clear on what they are supposed to do?" Selene asked.

"Stay here, shoot the barrier, kill everything. Got it," Steve said with a nod.

"If you start to run out of ammo, let one of us know so we can give you more. You should have plenty, but you never know," Selene said.

Allen gave Selene a sideways look. "You sound like you've done this before."

"I have," Selene nodded. "Back when we were trying to kill Oryx, many fireteams tried to open the portal. A few managed to succeed and get on the other side." She snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot. Ghost, we need to scan the statues and change the destination. Otherwise, we'll end up somewhere deep inside the Dreadnaught."

"I was wondering if you were going to forget," Ghost said. Everyone waited while Selene and Ghost carried out their task. "Are we sure this is going to work?" Steve asked.

Chudnoffsky snorted. "We conducted a trial run of this portal hypothesis and while we were able to make it work, the final results were inconclusive. The data I managed to retrieve from our test showed that the destination contained a compatible atmosphere for humans to function, but that was about it. Video and audio were badly degraded, but I was able to discern a solid, stone-like foundation. At least we will be walking onto solid ground, rather water or air."

"Gee Doc, I'm just brimming with confidence," Steve replied sarcastically.

By now, Selene had completed her task. "Okay. Cross your fingers and pray to whatever deity you believe in for luck." Selene and Saoirse jumped up on the pedestals that held the orbs. Selene counted down from three and on one, they both picked up the orbs.

A swirling black vortex appeared and quickly grew larger, before exploding in a flash of light and revealing Taken enemies.

"What are those?" Steve asked.

"The Taken! Shoot them!" Saoirse shouted.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Steve said as he and Allen opened fire. The Taken wend down surprisingly easy. Allen noticed a translucent white screen had appeared in the entry way leading to the statues. "Is that the barrier?"

"Yep. Shoot it," Selene said. After a moment of focused fire, the screen fizzled out and the way was clear. Saoirse and Selene ran forward and slammed the orbs into the statue. There was a flash of light and a loud _GONG_ sound as the statue lit up.

"Rinse and repeat. Let's go," Selene said, taking Valentina through the right exit and Saorise took Aurora through the left. For the moment, Allen and Steve were left with nothing to do. Allen looked around and said, "You know, this is kinda boring." Just then, another black vortex appeared, depositing more Taken.

"You know what? I'm gonna shoot you in the head next time you open your stupid mouth," Steve said as he shot Taken. Saoirse and Selene reappeared shortly after, carrying the orbs. "Shoot the barrier knuckleheads!" Selene shouted. Allen and Steve did so, clearing the way. Saoirse and Selene activated the statue and ran out to get the next orbs with Valentina and Aurora in tow.

By the time the last statue was activated, everyone had a pretty good grasp on what to do. Allen and Steve made short work of the Taken when they appeared. Saoirse had a close call when a Taken Phalanx almost blasted her off the edge, but she was able to recover and she beat it to death with the orb in retaliation. With all six statues activated, the portal snapped to life.

"Now what?" Steve asked.

"Now we run like hell and jump through the portal like our lives depend on it," Selene said and they took off running.

Valentina noticed something was off. "Guys? I think something is wrong,"

"What now?" Saoirse asked. Valentina pointed as a Hive drop ship appeared and Hive appeared below the portal. And assortment of Thrall and Acolytes dropped in, as well as two Knights and an Ogre. However, what caught everyone's attention was what was coming out of the portal.

"Are you sure you dialed it up right?" Allen asked.

"I used the same coordinates as the first time," Selene said. Just then, an enormous Knight appeared. The most telling difference between this Knight and other Knights was the armor spikes on its head resembled a crown and glowing green energy seeped out of its armor joints. It wielded a large sword and swung it menacingly.

Selene stopped and put her hands on her hips. "Huh. I thought he was dead. Imagine that."

"Who is that?" Aurora asked.

"His real name is Thalnok, but everyone calls him Crota Junior," Selene said.

Valentina couldn't believe what was happening. A small Hive army was shooting at them, and Selene stood there and watched, not a care in the world. Hunters were crazy, no doubt about it.

"So what do we do?" Allen asked, ducking behind the edge.

"Well the first thing is to clear out the underlings a little. That Ogre is a pain," Selene said.

"Fear not boss!" Saoirse said and pulled out her Dragon's Breath. "Burn in Hell you sunsabitches!" she shouted and fired off a rocket. When the rocked was overhead, Saoirse activated the napalm canister and fire erupted everywhere. "Bwahahahaha!" Saoirse cackled maniacally.

Selene and Valentina took care of the Ogre. "Allen, Steve, Aurora, you jump down with me. Saoirse and Valentina will stay up here and keep Junior busy," Selene said. Allen and Steve nodded and they all jumped down below. Selene led them behind cover and peeked out. "You see that Knight holding that sword?" Aurora looked over Selene's shoulder and nodded. "We need to kill that Knight, take its sword and kill Crota Junior."

"Um, how?" Allen asked.

Ghost materialized Selene's Gjallarhorn and Selene handed it to Allen. "Junior has a bit of a trick. His energy shield can be taken down with normal gunfire, but he can only be killed with that Knight's sword."

"How do you know this?" Steve asked.

"Because that's how actual Crota was killed. And since this guy is a Crota fanatic, I imagine we'll kill him the same way," Selene said.

The Spartans simply stared at each other. "So what you're saying is, you have no idea if this will actually work," Steve said.

"Well whatever. It's not like anything worse can happen," Allen said.

Steve smacked him in the back of the head. "What did I tell you earlier?" he said. Selene ignored them and got into position. By now, more Thrall and Acolytes had appeared and were shooting at them. "Keep them busy!" Selene said and ran out. The Spartans separated and started shooting everything that moved.

The Hive may have had superior numbers, but the Guardians and Spartans had better firepower. Selene went after the Sword Bearer Knight while dodging angry Thralls. She tossed her venom smoke and grenade combo to stager the Knight, then blasted away with her shotgun. The knight fell and dropped the sword. Selene picked up the sword and ran to the base of the stairs. "Let him have it!" she shouted.

Rockets streaked through the air and impacted against Thalnok's body. Saoirse's napalm canister turned the altar top into a pyre. Valentina and Allen shot rockets as fast as they could. Under the intense barrage, Thalnok roared in pain and dropped to one knee. Selene quickly dashed up the stairs and started hammering away with all her might. Thalnok shuddered with each blow, but eventually rose to his feet. He stared down at Selene and raised his massive sword over his head.

Selene rolled to the side as Thalnok brought his sword down right where Selene had been standing. The shock of the blow knocked her down and nearly pushed her off the edge. Selene danced around the lingering napalm flames and tried to avoid being stepped on. "Any day now!" she shouted.

Another barrage of rockets impacted against Thalnok and Saoirse put down another canister of napalm for good measure. Once again, Thalnok fell to one knee and Selene slashed him as fast as she could.

The sword in her hands started to flash with light, indicating its durability was quickly running out. With a mighty shout, Selene jumped into the air and brought her sword down on Thalnok's head as hard as she could. This final blow shattered the blade and Selene fell to the side. Fortunately her last effort was enough and Thalnok's body fell apart. A small green flame appeared over the remains and quickly sped off, going who knew where.

Selene pushed herself to her feet and let out a deep breath. Just then, the portal started spark. "Everyone get up here now!" she shouted. Valentina and Saoirse quickly jumped down from their perch and joined Allen, Steve, and Aurora in fighting their way up the stairs. They met with Selene and she pushed them all through. Everything went white and streaks of color appeared in their vision. Valentina felt like her body was being stretched and contorted. The noise was tremendous, a loud roaring sound. How long this lasted, no one knew. Finally with a flash of light and a _WOOSH_ sound, and everything went black.

Valentina fell to her knees and started coughing. That was an experience she didn't want to repeat anytime soon. She pushed herself to her feet and tried to see in the inky blackness. "Hello? Selene? Are you there?" she called out. Her voice echoed, suggesting some sort of tunnel or cavern. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, Valentina realized wherever she was had faint illumination. From what, she couldn't tell. "Valkyrie? Can you hear me?"

No answer.

Valentina closed her eyes and tried to fight the rising panic. "Valkyrie? Saoirse? Anyone?"

Still no answer.

Valentina's heart started to race in her chest. She could feel the darkness closing in around her and she briefly wondered if this is what Eris Morn experienced on the Moon. Valentina felt around and took careful steps until she bumped into a wall. She turned and sat down with her back against the wall. At least nothing could sneak up on her this way.

Valentina focused on her breathing and tried to slow her racing heart while she took stock of her situation. She was alive and breathing and as near as she could tell, her arms and legs were intact. A good start so far. She felt physically and mentally drained after her ordeal, which was to be expected. Valentina closed her eyes and meditated, opening herself up. Deep in her heart, she felt a warm spark and focused on that. The spark began to flash in rhythm to her heart beat. She reached out to the spark and held it in her hands. The spark then started to grow until the light filled her entire being.

Valentina let out a gasp and Valkyrie flashed to life. "Whoa! Where are we?" she asked. Her voice sounded scratchy and distant, like she was shouting from the end of a long tunnel

Valentina quickly grabbed her Ghost and held her close to her chest. Valkyrie didn't object and went with it. After a while, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, drained and a bit scared," Valentina replied. "You?"

"A bit of the same actually," Valkyrie admitted.

Valentina touched her forehead to her Ghost. "I thought you were gone," she whispered.

"I would never intentionally leave you," Valkyrie replied. "We're partners remember?"

Valentina nodded and sighed. "Care to light this up?"

"No problem," Valkyrie said and her eye turned into a flashlight. Valentina could see they were in a large cavern of some kind. "Where do you suppose we are?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Valkyrie said. "I'm pretty sure we're not on the Dreadnaught anymore."

Something glinted on the edge of Valkyrie's light and Guardian and Ghost quickly turned. Saoirse put her hand up to block the light. "Get that outta my face!"

"Saoirse!" Valentina called out happily and jumped on the Titan. Taken by surprise, it was all Saoirse could do to avoid falling over. "I'm glad to see you too. Seen anyone else yet?"

Valentina shook her head. "Not yet."

Saoirse grunted and looked around. "Well, they're here somewhere."

"How about right behind you?" Selene said, causing Valentina and Saoirse to jump and maybe let out a little shriek. "So. Still think this was a good idea?" Saoirse asked when she had recovered.

"Jury's still out," Selene replied. She held out her hand and Ghost appeared. "I feel very strange," it said.

"Me too," Valkyrie added.

"Ghost, you still have that thing?" Selene asked.

"Yep. It might take me a minute thought," Ghost said.

"What's going on?" Saoirse asked.

Selene put her hand up, indicating for the others to wait. Ghost closed his eye in concentration and its points began to spin faster and faster. With a final groan of effort, three large white stone looking shards appeared on the ground. Each was easily as big as Saoirse.

Valentina was shocked. "Is that what I think it is?"

Selene nodded. "Yup. Shards of the Traveler."

Valentina thought quickly. "So this means we'll be able to use our Light?"

Selene shrugged. "Possibly. I think our bodies still carry what Light we had when we went through the portal, and with these shards we'll still be able to use our Light here. Hopefully."

"But without the actual Traveler, our abilities will be slower to recharge," Valentina said.

"I don't mind. These shards are better than nothing," Saoirse said. She summoned Musashi and the Ghosts each placed a shard in their inventories. "Oh. I feel a bit better now," Valkyrie said. Her voice was closer to normal, but still had a bit of distortion.

"The Light from these shards won't last forever," Valentina cautioned.

"I know, but it's better than nothing," Selene said.

Footsteps echoed in the darkness, causing the Guardians to quickly look around. "Whose idea was this again?" Allen asked.

"Not mine," Steve replied.

"Or mine," Aurora added.

The Ghosts shined their lights and revealed the Spartans and Doctor Chudnoffsky. "Hooray, we are no longer where we were," the doctor said flatly.

"I'd say that's pretty obvious," Steve said. The Spartans activated their helmet mounted flashlights, adding to the pitiful amount of light the Ghosts were generating.

Selene noticed a pile of machinery on the ground and knelt to investigate. "I found something," she called out. The others gathered around. "What is it?" Aurora asked. Selene brushed off some of the dirt and rust. "I think this is the frame we sent through the portal," she said in amazement.

"How can that be? That was only a few days ago," Aurora said.

"A few days for us," Chudnoffsky said. "Perhaps there is some kind of time manipulation through the portal. A few days for us must have been years for this robot."

Allen looked around. "You know, I'm starting to get a funny feeling."

"It's called puberty," Steve replied.

"No, I'm serious," Allen said, hitting Steve in the chest. "If what the Doc said is true, then that would certainly make sense."

"Um, you're not making sense. Care to explain it to the rest of us?" Steve asked.

Allen didn't reply and instead started looking around. He found what looked to be old bundles of cables tied together and stared to follow them. Eventually he stopped and turned around when he realized the cables were leading him further down the tunnel. Soon, Allen came across a rusted computer terminal. "Hey, over here," he called out.

They gathered around and Aurora gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

Allen nodded. "I believe so."

"If you think about it, it makes sense," Isis spoke up.

"What does?" Saoirse asked.

Chudnoffsky began to realize it too and nodded his head in agreement. "We used the signatures we recorded from the statues that controlled the portal we blew up. Think of those coordinates as position 'A' or a starting point. We then programmed the portal we used to get back to respond to our statues. I believe the best way to put it would be like making a phone call. You know the number of the person you are trying to call and enter those numbers in your own phone. The call is then connected when the other party picks up."

"So what you're saying is, we're right back where we started?" Steve asked.

"Precisely," Chudnoffsky said.

"Then why is everything old and falling apart?" Aurora asked.

"Likely due to that time distortion I was talking about," Chudnoffsky said. "We were in your universe for what, about a month?"

"More or less," Selene agreed.

"And we have no way of knowing how much time has passed here," Chudnoffsky said. "It could have been a few hours or a few years."

"I'd say years is more likely, considering the state we found the frame in," Selene said.

They stood around and stared at each other. No one was sure what to say. What was there TO say? Isis finally broke the silence. "While I'm all for standing around and brooding in the darkness, I'd like to get out of here now."

Everyone murmured agreement and Aurora took point. "If this is indeed the same place we left from, I should be able to get us back to the surface by backtracking along the same path we used to get here," Isis said. Since no one had a different idea, they went with that.

Time had not been kind to the underground facility and detonating a large explosive device certainly hadn't helped. Many of the old tunnels and passageways had collapsed due to age and neglect, forcing them to dig their way through or find an alternate route.

"What do you suppose happened to this place?" Allen wondered.

"Indeed. When we were here the first time, it seemed as if people hadn't been here for some time," Chudnoffsky said.

"Yeah, zombie outbreaks and murder machines will do that to you," Steve said.

"What now?" Saoirse asked.

"Oh, when we were here before we blew up the portal, we found this place abandoned. Turns out it was a top secret research lab where they experimented on aliens and stuff," Allen said. "We found one of the researchers who told us about all the crazy stuff they were doing and some of the aliens turned violent and killed everyone. To fix this, the A.I. in charge set all the robots on 'kill' and the robots took care of the zombies."

"That seems pretty far-fetched," Valentina said.

"Says the girl who just came through a magic portal," Steve said.

Valentina shrugged. "Fair enough."

After what seemed like hours, the rag-tag group finally broke through to the surface where the sun was starting to rise.

"Wow. How cliché is that," Steve said.

"What is?" Allen asked.

"The heroes finally reach the end of their long, arduous journey filled with monsters and other frightening things that go bump in the night, only to make it through to the end and see the sunrise," Steve said.

Allen nodded. "Yep. I can totally see that."

Selene turned toward Ghost. "How about it? Can you do it?"

"We'll see," Ghost replied. Its eye squinted in concentration and it started to shake from side to side. With a final effort, a large white wireframe appeared and quickly filled out into Selene's ship. "Wow. That was tougher than I imagined," Ghost said with a sigh.

Selene took her Ghost in her hands and patted it gently. "You did well." The ramp lowered and they all climbed onboard. Once they were seated, Selene took off and flew to the stars.

Steve watched the planet recede in the window and collapsed in his seat. "We FINALLY made it off that stupid planet!"

Allen thought for a moment. "Yeah. You're right."

Steve's mood then turned dark. "I wonder if anyone we know is still alive. They'd never believe our story."

"Aurora, come to the cockpit please," Selene called out. Aurora unbuckled and made her way forward. Curious, everyone else did the same. Aurora reached behind her helmet and pulled out the data chip containing Isis and inserted it into a slot on the console. A light turned on and Isis appeared in all her glory.

"Hey! There she is!" Steve called out happily. Isis beamed and performed a curtsey. "No offense Aurora, but I am so glad to be out of your head," she said.

"None taken," Aurora replied.

"Selene? What is this?" Saorise asked.

"After Doc, Aurora and I came back from the Dreadnaught that one time, I had Aurora and Isis stay behind and rig up an extension to the control console so Isis could do her thing," Selene said. Saoirse merely shook her head. "You crafty devil," she muttered.

"Did you really plan this far ahead?" Valentina asked.

"I'd be giving myself too much credit if I said yes," Selene said. "I kinda made it up as I went along."

"Only a Hunter," Valentina smiled.

"We also upgraded the long range communication capability and made improvements to the navigation system," Isis said. Her form started to shimmer. "Plotting coordinates to nearest inhabited planet. Preparing communication message. Ready when you are."

Selene activated the ships warp drive. The engines spun up to a high-pitched whine, but nothing happened. "Something's wrong!" Isis said. Selene quickly shut the warp drive down and the whining stopped. "Seems like there was a bit of an issue materializing the ship," Ghost said sheepishly. "Some problems were bound to occur." Everyone groaned.

"Isis, you have the star charts and coordinates right? Orient the ship in the direction of the nearest planet you know of and we'll head that way," Selene said. Isis crossed her arms and frowned. "Since when are you the boss of me?"

"Since never. Please do as I ask," Selene said. Isis' face softened. "Relax. I was going to anyway." The star field outside the window shifted as Isis changed the ship's direction. Selene hit the throttle and the ship headed out into space.

Several days passed. Due to the tight confines of the ship, everyone was started to get irritable with each other. Isis' message repeated over all the communication frequencies she could remember. No one really expected much.

A flashing light on the control console caused Selene to sit up and pay attention. "Looks like we're getting a reply," she said. Isis appeared and acknowledged the call. "This is UNSC Artificial Intelligence designation Isis. To whom am I speaking?"

The cockpit speakers crackled to life. "This is Roland, A.I. of the UNSC Infinity. We received your message. What is the nature of your emergency?"

Isis looked to Selene who shrugged. "Well our warp drive malfunctioned. At this rate it will take approximately…a long time to reach the nearest inhabited planet. An assist with repairs would be helpful."

After a short pause, Roland came back over the speakers. "I think we'll be able to offer up some assistance." Selene heard some noise in the background and Roland came on again. "You said your name was Isis correct?"

"Uh, yeah. Is something wrong?" Isis asked.

"Not sure yet," Roland replied. More background noise that sounded like a heated argument. "Um, Isis? I have a strange request," Roland said.

"Uh-oh. What is it?" Isis asked.

"I was told to ask you about the Spartans who were with you," Roland said.

"Oh. Yes, they're with me," Isis replied. There was a fumbling sound, like someone was trying to take control of the microphone. "Isis? Is that you? This is Doctor Halsey," an older female voice said.

"Hey Doc. What's up?" Isis replied with a strained smile. Isis muted the microphone and turned to Selene. "I am in SO much trouble."

"Isis, continue on your present course. We'll pick you up shortly," Roland said.

"How short are we talking about?" Isis asked.

Selene stared out the window and pointed. An enormous ship appeared seemingly out of nowhere and dwarfed Selene's own ship.

"Oh. That was rather short," Isis said simply. Selene could only shake her head. She turned and shouted out of the cockpit, "Hey! We're being rescued! Show some appreciation!"

"Yay, I'm so appreciative," Allen called out in a dead voice and circled his arm over his head.

Selene piloted her ship into the Infinity's landing bay. Once they were settled, Selene, Saoirse and Valentina stood at the top of the ramp and Selene hit the button. The ramp dropped and the Spartans and Doctor Chudnoffsky disembarked first. There was a commotion just out of sight and a squad of troopers quickly took position and raised their weapons.

The Guardians slowly raised their hands over their heads to show they were not a threat.

"Hey boys, what's up?" Saoirse called out with a sheepish grin. Valentina groaned and Selene rolled her eyes.


	18. So Now What?

**Author Note:** This is the final chapter of this particular story. When I started this little adventure, I never would have imagined it would have become so popular. It's still a little baffling to me. In any case, thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

* * *

Selene leaned back in her chair and sighed. That Lasky fellow seemed a lot nicer than the other fellow. The Guardians had finished telling their story and Lasky thanked them for their time and had Valentina and Saoirse escorted out, leaving Selene alone. She was half tempted to try and break out of the room, but that wouldn't help build friendly relations.

Honestly, she hoped they'd let her out of this tiny room, hand her ship back and let her go, but that was nothing more than wishful thinking. If it came down to it, she'd fight her way out and go down swinging. Let them fight over her corpse and reverse engineer her technology, Selene thought morbidly.

 _"_ _I'd rather that didn't happen,"_ Ghost said in her mind.

 _"_ _Where have you been this whole time? Hiding out like a little scaredy cat?"_ Selene replied.

 _"_ _You know it,"_ Ghost said proudly. _"Besides, I didn't think you'd want them to take me away."_

Selene said nothing. Several more minutes went by when the door opened and Lasky walked in. "You're free to go," he said and held the door opened.

Selene eyed him warily. "What's the catch?"

"Well the catch is you can't leave the ship yet and there are certain places on board you can't go, but you can wander about as you like," Lasky said.

"So you're letting me out of this room now?" Selene asked.

"Unless you'd rather stay in here and brood," Lasky said. Selene shrugged and stood up. She gave Lasky a quick look before exiting. As she followed Lasky through the corridors, Selene took note of how shiny and new everything seemed. The atmosphere even had that new ship smell. "This fancy bucket seems pretty new," Selene said.

Lasky nodded. "The _Infinity_ is only five years old and has a lot of technology recovered from the Covenant and Forerunner ruins."

Selene looked around. "We don't have anything this fancy, but it gets the job done." After a short pause, Selene asked, "What year was it when Allen and Steve went missing?" Lasky thought for a moment. "Let's see. The last thing they remember was a Covenant armada heading toward Reach, so 2552?"

Selene stopped. "What year is it now?"

"2558," Lasky replied.

"They've been missing for six years?" Selene asked.

"Seems that way," Lasky said.

Selene shook her head. "Time travel and alternate dimension hopping is a pain."

"I agree," Lasky said with a chuckle. "Your friends are in the hangar if you want to see them." Selene nodded and Lasky showed her the way. They traveled through more passageways and emerged on an observation catwalk above the hangar. Down below, Selene could see technicians crawling all over her ship. "If they break anything, I expect to be compensated," she warned.

"I'll keep that in mind," Lasky said. Up ahead, Saoirse and Valentina were standing around. Valentina looked up as they got closer and nudged Saoirse. "Finally get tired of your cage?" Saoirse asked.

"No more than you," Selene replied.

Valentina turned to Lasky and asked, "What happens now?"

Lasky shrugged. "Honestly, it's out of my hands. As Selene suspected, ONI and the top brass want to keep you under tight wraps until they can figure out what to do."

"Figures," Saoirse muttered. She was tempted to spit over the railing and see if she could hit anyone below.

"For the time being, please consider yourselves our guests," Lasky said. "You have the run of the ship, but please stay out of the restricted areas, like engineering."

"What's the matter? Afraid we'll steal your secrets?" Selene asked.

"Not really, but there are people on board who would rather see you locked up for the duration. If you value your freedom, I'd avoid giving them an excuse to do so." Lasky said.

"You should let me know who it is so I can kick their ass," Saoirse said. She crossed her arms and leaned on the railing.

Lasky made a pained expression. "As much as I'd like to see that, I'm going to have to say no." He thought for a minute and added, "But if you really want to, I'm sure I could pull some strings."

Saoirse narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, let me see what I can do and we'll talk later," Lasky said. He nodded to the three Guardians and left. "Well. That was a thing," Saoirse said.

"You have any idea what he was talking about?" Selene asked.

"You know how Allen and Steve are Spartans?" Saoirse said.

"What about it?" Selene replied.

Saoirse leaned in close and had a glimmer in her eye. "Apparently Spartans come in different flavors. Allen and Steve are Spartan-IIs and there are Spartan-III and IV."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Selene asked.

"Well it seems that they pretty much let anyone become a Spartan-IV if you volunteer," Saoirse said.

Selene stared long and hard at Saoirse. "If that's what you want."

Saoirse turned to look over the hangar. "Volunteering for this Spartan thing wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to me here. It's almost like being a Titan again."

"Again? You never stopped as far as I know," Selene said. Saoirse shrugged. "What else am I going to do? Retire on some backwoods planet?"

"They'd never let you do that," Selene said.

"Exactly. I might as well make the best of what I got," Saoirse said. "Besides, if I volunteer and survive all the surgeries and stuff, I can finally kick Steve's ass fair and square."

Selene shook her head. "Are you still going on about that?"

"You're damn right I am," Saoirse spat.

Selene turned to Valentina. "You?"

Valentina looked uncertain. "I'm going to do what I said I was going to do. I'm going to find a way to go back to the Tower and bring back everything I learn here."

"I believe you will," Selene said. She took a breath and sighed. "Finally get out of the little box, only to get stuck in a bigger box."

"Well when you put it that way it kinda sucks," Saoirse said.

Selene looked down at her ship and felt her hackles rise. "First chance I get, I'm getting out of here. This is no better than being stuck in the Tower."

Saoirse grinned. "I figured you'd say something like that. Oh well. I don't blame you. Just keep in touch okay?"

"Where will you go?" Valentina asked.

Selene shrugged. "The universe is a big place. I'm sure I won't have any problems getting into trouble."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ghost said as it appeared."

"What are you doing?" Selene hissed and quickly looked around. "Don't let them catch you out like this."

"I know better than that," Ghost said. "Like you, I'm getting a little cooped up in here."

Musashi and Valkyrie appeared and agreed with Ghost. "I for one, would like to have a sit-down with that guy who was talking to you," Valkyrie said.

"Yeah. That guy was a real jerk off," Saoirse said.

"It doesn't matter. Everything we talked about is going to be dissected and analyzed eight ways from Sunday," Selene said.

"Let's worry about that a different time," Saoirse said.

Heavy footsteps on the walkway alerted the Guardians to the approach of Steve, Allen and Aurora. "Lookee here! Three of my favorite ladies!" Steve called out.

"I don't know how I feel about that," Isis spoke up.

Selene looked to Aurora. "So this is a permanent thing now?"

"For the time being," Aurora said. "From what I could tell, some of the higher ups were quite pleased to find two more Spartan-IIs and a little old me."

"Somebody decided we all should stay together," Allen said. "Something about adult supervision?"

"I don't know. I stopped paying attention a long time ago," Steve said.

"At least we got promoted, so there's that," Allen said.

"Sounds like the three of you made out okay," Selene said.

"Yeah. They gave us medals for giving advance warning of the Covenant armada that glassed Reach, and for inadvertently discovering a portal to another universe. We're kind of a big deal now," Steve said.

"Bigger than Master Chief?" Aurora asked.

Allen and Steve shared a look. "Maybe not that big," Allen said.

"So what's next for you guys?" Selene asked.

"Dunno. Why don't you ask the boss?" Allen said and pointed to Aurora.

"Oh. I've been promoted as well," Aurora said. "I'm a Lieutenant now."

"And still just as clueless as always," Steve said. Allen did his best to hide a smile and Aurora glared at Steve. "But to answer your question, we don't know. There's nothing planned at the moment."

They made small talk for a while before the Spartans said goodbye and left. Saoirse gave a big yawn and stretched. "I think I'm about ready for a nap. I'll see you guys later."

Valentina and Selene watched her go. "Do you think she knows where she's going?" Valentina asked.

"I bet you five hundred glimmer she gets lost," Selene said.

"You're on. An additional one hundred says she causes a commotion," Valentina added.

"Deal," Selene said and they both chuckled. "Things are going to be pretty different now. I hope everyone back home isn't too mad," Valentina said.

"Oh, they probably are," Selene said. Valentina's face fell. "I can't help but feel we abandoned everyone."

"If it bothers you that much, find a way to go back," Selene said.

"I will. I promise," Valentina said. Selene was impressed by the conviction with which Valentina spoke. Her eyes were bright and full of fire. Selene smiled to herself. "Saoirse is right. I think some sleep would be good right now."

"Oh. Okay." Valentina's face fell a little. "I'll see you later then." The young Warlock turned and headed down the walkway, humming quietly to herself.

Selene leaned on the railing with Ghost hovering over her shoulder. "I wonder how much time has passed in the City?" it asked.

"Not enough," Selene replied. "The signs were there and I tried to warn Cayde that Nyx was right. If they're lucky, they won't be caught flat-footed and put up a fight. If not, it could be disastrous." She sighed. "I don't think anyone will be truly prepared for what's coming next."

"And what is coming?" Ghost asked.

"War," Selene replied.

* * *

Deep in the Tower where the sun doesn't shine, she sat alone in her 20x20 foot cell. The Void energy field cast everything in an eerie purple glow. She didn't get many visitors, but that was okay with her. The Vanguard would prefer she stayed forgotten anyway. Her crime? She was too curious for her own good. Naturally, she found her way to Future War Cult and volunteered to go into the machine. What she saw changed everything.

The future is a fickle thing. Just because she saw a vision, doesn't mean it will come true. It was but one of infinite possibilities. But that's not all she saw. This Hunter had a revelation and her eyes were opened. She knew the Truth and that's what made her dangerous.

She heard a low rumbling sound and a bit of dust fell from the ceiling, followed by a series of explosions, muffled by the thick concrete and steel. The Void energy field started to flicker, then winked out, plunging the room in darkness.

Two lights pierced the gloom, one icy blue and the other an angry red. She leaned back against the wall and sighed. "And so it begins. Just like I said it would."

She cocks her head to the side and her eyes look into the distance, as if looking past the reaches of the universe and into another plane of existence. "What do you say, oh reader of mine. Shall we end it here? Or continue with this little story?" her raspy voice echoed in the darkness.


	19. Bonus Chapter: Madness

_**AUTHOR NOTE:** I wrote this a while back for a different project, but I though I would share some insight on the Tower prison's only permanent resident._

* * *

Madness?

Madness, you say?

I disagree with you. Madness implies anger and misguided aggression, or a form of insanity. No, this is not the product of some chemical imbalance of the brain. It's less a mental disorder and more of an…enlightening of the mind you could say. Yes, I did say enlightenment. No, I haven't spoken to God or any other deity.

Voices? Yes, I have heard voices, but not since I have been locked away in this place. Not so much words, more like feelings or sudden urges. Sometimes it's a restlessness that seeps into your bones. I suppose we Hunters (yes, I am a Hunter or at least used to be) are more likely to suffer from this than Warlocks or Titans, given our solitary nature. Out in the wild for weeks or months at a time, nothing but your Ghost and favorite gun to keep you company. It's a wonder more of us aren't crazy. Or perhaps we are?

Oh don't look at me like that. I don't need or want your pity. It's my own fault I ended up here. That's how you know I'm not insane. I am fully aware of my actions and the consequences of them. At the time it wasn't so clear, but with age comes clarity and I realize that the way I went about things probably wasn't the best.

You see? You're doing it again. Don't think I didn't notice. The blank look in your eyes, the way you carry yourself. You think this is a waste of time. You're wondering why you came down here in the first place. But I know. Deep down in the corners of your brain, that tiny seed has been planted. That tiny kernel of doubt. Is this right? Is there another way? What is the Truth? The curious ones have it the worst. Always with the questions, always with the "why this," and "why that." You just have to _know_ for the sake of _knowing._

I once thought as you did. I think in a different timeline, I could have been reborn as a Warlock. At least then everything would make sense. "Just another Warlock, head full of questions and useless knowledge." But not all knowledge is useless, just like all knowledge isn't power. That's why I went to them. My curiosity was my downfall, you might say. I wanted to know _things._ Didn't matter what it was. Warlocks were annoyed by me and the Cryptarchs hated me. And that's where they got me.

Future War Cult. Certainly lives up to its name. So secretive, so mysterious. They aren't talked about much in the Tower and most Guardians actively avoid them. Perhaps you've heard, but the only reason the FWC was promoted into the Consensus was to keep a close eye on them because their ideas were too dangerous. Keep your enemies close and all that. Certainly you've heard of the Machine, yes? No? Well now. You seem like a decent person and I don't want to ruin that by filling your head with delusions of grandeur. No, no, I don't care how much you ask, I won't tell you about the time I went into the Machine. Ah, it's too late for you. I saw that. That little twinkle in your eye. I've gone and stirred the beast haven't I? But I think you are lying. I think you HAVE heard of the Machine. And some small part of you wants to know, what is it? What's it like? What do you see? Honestly though, I think you'd be better off talking to the Thanatonauts. You have? You sneaky devil.

It is said that curiosity killed the cat. This is not true. Everyone knows that cats have nine lives, so they can afford to lose a few here and there. And I have it on good authority the cat didn't die. It was changed. It saw things. Became twisted into a different shape until it no longer recognized its self. It was folded and compressed, squeezed and wrung out until the only thing that remained was Absolute Truth. And the cat became Ascendant. The cat was given a purpose and became a sharp and deadly instrument to see that purpose carried out.

What did the cat see? Wouldn't you like to know, oh inquisitive one. The cat saw is What Was and What Will Be. That Time began with struggle and Time will end in violence. It saw that this world, this space, you, me, everything, is just a dream. A flight of fancy, dreamed in the mind of Others. An ambitious, but ultimately flawed undertaking that resulted in what we have now. Yes little kitten, this is the Truth: None of this exists. We are all slaves to a Higher Power that none of us understand. We exist as nothing more than ones and zeros in an elaborate simulation.

Yes. You see it now don't you. I see the conflict behind your eyes. You want to dismiss my words. You tell yourself I'm crazy. I already told you I'm not crazy. But I know you. I was like you once upon a time. You'll fight it for a while, but just give it time. You'll start to notice things. Why is the Vault of Glass still around if we beat Atheon? If we killed The Taken King, why are there still Taken? Why do Fallen never run out of numbers? And most of all, why is our story so terrible? I've done my part. I've planted the Seed. Give it time. No matter how much you fight it, no matter how much you deny its existence, the Seed will grow and blossom into a Thought, which will give fruit to an Idea.

And so I emerged from the Machine, twisted and shaped into something else. It all made sense now! This was the Truth! My eyes were finally open. Our purpose? To kill. Kill until nothing is left. Kill my enemies and all who stand in my way. But of course! This was nothing but a simulation, surpassing even the great Vex planet minds. But it isn't just wanton slaughter. To kill in service to the Story is the key. The overall Plot (what little there is) is that we exist to defend the City, kill the enemies of the City, and kill each other in the Crucible. Why? To become more proficient killers of course!

And I was good at it! I tell you there are few things more beautiful than a Bladedancer in full Arc Blade. Such bliss! Gliding around the battlefield with speed and precision, shrouded in lighting, brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it! The look in a Warlocks eyes when you appear seemingly out of nowhere. A panicked Titan firing wildly, hoping and praying you die before he runs out of bullets. The feeling of Arc energy coursing through your body, knife infused with lightning and ready to strike. There is no feeling like it in the world.

But the true test isn't just hunting other Guardians. What really gets the blood pumping is out there, in the wilds, fingers itching at the chance to hunt strong enemies. Become an instrument of the City's will, cutting down our enemies with no spare thoughts.

In a way, I sympathize with the Hive and here's why. Boil the Hive down to the very core of their belief and you get this: Can I kill you? If I can, you weren't strong enough to live. If you kill me, I wasn't strong enough to survive. The ultimate statement of Survival of the Fittest. The Sword Logic is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. I sometimes wonder, what do they think of us Guardians?

I am no Dregen Yor, if that's what you are thinking. He was corrupted and fell to Darkness. I have done no such thing. He used a gun. I have a knife. In some ways, a knife is much more useful than a gun. A knife won't jam or run out of ammunition. Take care of your knife and your knife will take care of you. I've had many knives but my favorite was an old hunting knife with an obsidian blade. Did you know, glass and ceramic knives are much sharper and hold an edge better than metal? But these knives tend to be very brittle and not very good for slicing a Fallen Captain's armored neck. Yes, that blade was my favorite, but my most practical knife was made from a Hive Knight's sword. Why you ask? Why not? If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. Hive swords are more suited for crushing due to their size. But the material they are made of isn't found in this galaxy. Hard as diamond, sharp as glass, and held an edge better than stainless steel. That knife was a piece of art. Perfectly balanced and the blade was shaped perfectly for slipping between Titan armor joints. So smooth and effortless. It slips in and out with little resistance. Half the time, they're dead before they hit the ground. Since it was made from a Hive sword, that knife had certain…properties. For starters, the blade was always cold to the touch. Sucked the warmth out of everything and left a chill that settled deep in the bones. Like it was _hungry_ , wanted to devour everything it cut. Made me a bit uneasy. So I sat with it, meditated, argued, fought, cajoled, pleaded my case. Eventually we came to an understanding. I would feed it some of my Light, and it would devour my enemies. We made a great pair.

What's wrong? Getting antsy are you? Why not stay a while longer? I don't get many visitors. In fact, I think you are the first visitor I've ever had. Come! I have so much to share, and you have much to tell me! You look nervous, ready to run. Have I frightened you that badly? You think I am some Boogey Man, hiding in the shadows of the Tower, waiting to devour young impressionable Guardians? Ha! Don't make me laugh. There are much worse things out there than poor old me. Oh yes. Much worse things. Believe me when I say that something is coming that none of us are prepared for. Everything we've done, everything we've faced means nothing compared to the horror that awaits us. You thought Oryx the Taken King was bad? Ha! A Guardian's light shines brightest in the Darkness, a bright sun trapped in the inevitability of heat death.

I see you are ready to run. Yes! Run quickly! Time is short! Prepare as best as you can. Fight and struggle! Face your death proudly with your head held high! And while you are scurrying about, I leave you with this, Little Guardian:

What will you do when your Light is taken from you?


End file.
